Welcome to Day 3 of the 90-Day Android Developer Roadmap here at HandsOnAndroid! 👋
On Day 1, we explored the full journey from beginner to master.
On Day 2, you installed Android Studio and got ready to code.
Today, we’ll settle one of the biggest beginner questions:
Should you learn Java or Kotlin for Android in 2025?
⚔️ Java vs Kotlin – At a Glance
| Feature | Java | Kotlin |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Sun Microsystems | JetBrains |
| First-Class Android Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Verbosity | 🟥 High | 🟩 Low |
| Null Safety | ❌ Manual checks | ✅ Built-in |
| Coroutines | ❌ No (threads only) | ✅ Yes (native) |
| Popularity | Backend-heavy | Android-preferred |
| Interoperability | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
| Learning Curve | ✅ Java familiarity | 📈 Slightly steeper |
💡 Why Google Recommends Kotlin
Since Google made Kotlin the preferred Android language in 2019:
- Jetpack and Compose are Kotlin-first
- Android Studio is optimized for Kotlin
- Kotlin has built-in coroutines for async tasks
- Less code = fewer bugs
🧠 Conclusion: Kotlin is modern and safer for Android.
🧑🏫 Which One Should You Learn First?
👉 If You’re a Beginner:
Start with Kotlin. It’s beginner-friendly and reduces boilerplate.
👉 Already Know Java?
Great! Transition to Kotlin easily. Both can co-exist in the same project.
👉 Want to Build Backend Too?
Learn Java (for Spring Boot) and Kotlin (for Android).
✅ Our Verdict
✨ In 2025, Kotlin is the best language for Android development.
- It’s officially supported
- Powers Jetpack Compose (Day 8+)
- Safer and faster to build apps
✅ We’ll use Kotlin in all future posts in this series.