Create a parallax scrolling effect

Parallax scrolling is a technique in which the background content and foreground content scroll at different speeds. You can implement this technique to enhance your app's UI, creating a more dynamic experience as your users scroll.

Version compatibility

This implementation requires that your project minSDK be set to API level 21 or higher.

Dependencies

Create a parallax effect

To achieve the parallax effect, you apply a fraction of the scrolling value from the scrolling composable to the composable that needs the parallax effect. The following snippet takes two nested visual elements—an image and a block of text—and scrolls them in the same direction at different speeds:

@Composable
fun ParallaxEffect() {
    fun Modifier.parallaxLayoutModifier(scrollState: ScrollState, rate: Int) =
        layout { measurable, constraints ->
            val placeable = measurable.measure(constraints)
            val height = if (rate > 0) scrollState.value / rate else scrollState.value
            layout(placeable.width, placeable.height) {
                placeable.place(0, height)
            }
        }

    val scrollState = rememberScrollState()
    Column(
        modifier = Modifier
            .fillMaxWidth()
            .verticalScroll(scrollState),
    ) {

        Image(
            painterResource(id = R.drawable.cupcake),
            contentDescription = "Android logo",
            contentScale = ContentScale.Fit,
            // Reduce scrolling rate by half.
            modifier = Modifier.parallaxLayoutModifier(scrollState, 2)
        )

        Text(
            text = stringResource(R.string.detail_placeholder),
            modifier = Modifier
                .background(Color.White)
                .padding(horizontal = 8.dp),

        )
    }
}
ParallaxEffect.kt

Key points about the code

• Creates a custom layout modifier to adjust the rate by which the composable scrolls.
• The Image scrolls at a slower rate than the Text, producing a parallax effect as the two composables translate vertically at different rates.

Results

Collections that contain this guide

This guide is part of these curated Quick Guide collections that cover broader Android development goals:

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