Meta’s Java-to-Kotlin Migration: Inside the Engineering Effort
Meta is systematically converting its Android codebase from Java to Kotlin, a language that brings notable improvements for Android development. The company has already released open-source examples and utilities that were used to manipulate Kotlin code during the transition.
The scale of the challenge is substantial: translating tens of millions of lines of Java. In a recent episode of the Meta Tech Podcast, engineers Eve and Jocelyn from Meta’s Mobile Infra Codebases Team discussed the technical hurdles with host Pascal Hartig. Their conversation covers the unexpected difficulties encountered, strategies for handling nullability concerns, and methods for generating idiomatic Kotlin code tailored to Meta’s internal frameworks.
Where to Listen
The full episode is available on the following platforms:
The Meta Tech Podcast covers engineering work at Meta, ranging from low-level frameworks to user-facing features. You can follow the podcast on Instagram, Threads, or X. Career opportunities are listed on the Meta Careers page.
