How to use the Jetpack Navigation 3 agent skill (navigation-3)

What the navigation-3 skill makes the agent do

Navigation 3 is a navigation library designed to work with Compose. You control the back stack yourself and navigate by adding and removing items from a list. The skill loads Google's Navigation 3 documentation and recipes into your agent so it can answer questions and write code for this approach.

The skill's SKILL.md file lists the topics it covers: migrating from Navigation 2, deep links, multiple back stacks, scenes (dialogs, bottom sheets, list-detail, two-pane and supporting pane), conditional navigation such as logged-in versus anonymous flows, returning results from flows, and integration with Hilt, ViewModel, Kotlin and view interoperability. The agent works by reading the bundled markdown files and following their examples.

Install the navigation-3 skill

Option 1: download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into your user skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, so it is available in every project. Option 2: unzip it into a project-specific folder, .claude/skills/ inside your project, so it applies only to that project.

Option 3: in the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP there.

The skill's own documentation also mentions installing through the Android CLI with the command below. Use it only if you have the Android CLI set up.

• Option 1: unzip to ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects
• Option 2: unzip to .claude/skills/ inside one project
• Option 3: upload the ZIP under Settings, Capabilities, Skills in the Claude apps

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need a special command. Describe the navigation task in plain language, and mention Navigation 3 or Jetpack Compose so the agent knows which library you mean. The skill's description lists the kinds of tasks it handles, so requests that match those topics are the most likely to use it.

Include the details that affect the code: your current Navigation 2 setup if you are migrating, the screens involved, and whether you need tabs, dialogs or deep links. The more specific the request, the closer the output will be to what your project needs.

• Set up Navigation 3 with NavDisplay and NavKey routes in my Compose app.
• Migrate this Navigation 2 NavHost and NavController code to Navigation 3.
• Add a deep link that opens a product detail screen from an https URI.
• Build a bottom navigation bar where each tab keeps its own back stack.
• Show a settings screen as a bottom sheet with Navigation 3.
• Switch to a login flow when the user is logged out and to the main app when logged in.

What you need before you start

The skill assumes an Android project that uses Jetpack Compose. To build the code the agent writes, you also need a Kotlin toolchain and either Android Studio or Gradle. The agent produces reference code; it does not compile or run it against your project.

Recipes are reference examples and may not match the newest library versions. Compile and test everything the agent writes before you rely on it.

• An Android project using Jetpack Compose
• A Kotlin toolchain
• Android Studio or Gradle to build the code
• Enough time to compile and test the output yourself

Safety notes: scripts and network access

According to the skill's listing, it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It consists of markdown reference files, including SKILL.md, the Navigation 3 index, the migration guide and a set of recipe files for topics such as animations, basic usage, deep links, bottom sheets and common UI.

The skill's license is listed as Apache-2.0, and SKILL.md points to LICENSE.txt for the complete terms. The author is Google LLC. Read LICENSE.txt if you plan to redistribute the skill or reuse its content.

• Runs scripts: no
• Uses network: no
• License: Apache-2.0; full terms in LICENSE.txt
• Author: Google LLC

Tips for getting good results

Point the agent at the file that matters. If you want the deep link pattern, ask for the deep link recipe by topic. For migration, ask the agent to follow the Navigation 2 to Navigation 3 migration guide step by step, which lists dependency updates, route changes, state management and UI component replacements.

Review the output against your own code. Check that the dependencies, routes and imports match your project, and run your build and tests after each change.

• Ask for one migration step at a time and check the build after each step.
• Name the recipe topic, such as animations, deep links or multiple back stacks.
• Share your current NavHost or NavController code so the agent can map it to the new structure.
• Keep the skill folder in place; the agent reads the bundled markdown files each time.