Review a Koin upgrade as a graph change, not a version bump

Dependency-injection upgrades can change more than API names. Verification behavior, annotation processing, Compose packages, compiler integration, and deprecations can all alter how the graph is built. Treat the upgrade as an architecture change with a defined before-and-after record.

Freeze the current graph

Before changing versions, save the dependency lock or resolved graph, the list of DI modules, startup smoke-test results, and verification-test output. Record warnings that already exist so a new warning is not confused with old noise.

Next, read the release and migration notes for every Koin component used by the project. A project that uses core, Android, Compose, annotations, and test utilities has several moving parts. The current Koin setup guide recommends its BOM and compiler plugin, but the correct path depends on the application version and supported targets. Start with the official setup and versions page.

Upgrade one mechanism at a time

When possible, separate these changes:

• runtime library version;
• annotations or generated definitions;
• compiler plugin adoption;
• Compose integration package changes; and
• removal of deprecated verification calls.

Keeping them separate makes a regression easier to locate. If they must ship together, keep commits and test output separated by mechanism.

Verify startup variants

Production startup is only one graph. Check debug tools, background workers, previews, integration tests, and product flavors. Provide all dynamic parameters used by verification. A green unit suite can still miss a worker definition that is loaded only by a release module.

The upgrade is complete when the graph evidence is at least as strong as before, known deprecations are resolved or recorded, and the team has a tested rollback. “The application opened” is useful smoke evidence, but it is not a complete graph review.