Kotlin Compiler Plugin Cuts Android Startup Time by 30% in Expo SDK 56 (opens in new tab)

Expo SDK 56 ships with a custom Kotlin compiler plugin that eliminates reflection from Expo Modules on Android. The result: 70% faster module initialization and a 30% reduction in time to first render. The plugin runs during compilation, so app developers get these performance gains automatically without changing any code. Module authors can unlock even bigger wins with a single annotation. This post walks through how we built it and why this approach succeeded where previous attempts failed....