I'm using Coil to load images in my Jetpack Compose app, but I notice that there is a significant delay when loading a local image for the first time. How to fix that dealy even image is just 5k?

AsyncImage(
    model = remember(profileImageUrl96By96) {
        ImageRequest.Builder(context)
            .data(profileImageUrl96By96)
            .placeholder(R.drawable.user_placeholder) // Your placeholder image
            .error(R.drawable.user_placeholder)
            .build()
    },
    contentDescription = "User Profile Image",
    modifier = Modifier
        .size(50.dp)
        .clip(CircleShape),
    contentScale = ContentScale.Crop
)

I'm using Coil to load images in my Jetpack Compose app, but I notice that there is a significant delay when loading a local image for the first time. How to fix that dealy even image is just 5k?

AsyncImage(
    model = remember(profileImageUrl96By96) {
        ImageRequest.Builder(context)
            .data(profileImageUrl96By96)
            .placeholder(R.drawable.user_placeholder) // Your placeholder image
            .error(R.drawable.user_placeholder)
            .build()
    },
    contentDescription = "User Profile Image",
    modifier = Modifier
        .size(50.dp)
        .clip(CircleShape),
    contentScale = ContentScale.Crop
)

• kotlin
• android-jetpack-compose
• coil

1 Answer 1

The delay happens because Coil initializes its image pipeline the first time it’s used, which adds overhead. Even small images go through decoding, resizing, and transformations like CircleShape, and accessing the image from disk can introduce latency.

How to Fix the Delay

Preloading caches the image before it is displayed:

LaunchedEffect(profileImageUrl96By96) {
    Coil.imageLoader(context).enqueue(
        ImageRequest.Builder(context)
            .data(profileImageUrl96By96)
            .build()
    )
}

The remember block in your code creates an unnecessary recomputation for ImageRequest. Move it outside or avoid wrapping it:

AsyncImage(
    model = ImageRequest.Builder(context)
        .data(profileImageUrl96By96)
        .placeholder(R.drawable.user_placeholder)
        .error(R.drawable.user_placeholder)
        .memoryCachePolicy(CachePolicy.ENABLED)
        .build(),
    contentDescription = "User Profile Image",
    modifier = Modifier
        .size(50.dp)
        .clip(CircleShape),
    contentScale = ContentScale.Crop
)

You can also warm up Coil during app startup to reduce initialization time by preloading a placeholder or common image:

val imageLoader = context.imageLoader
imageLoader.enqueue(
    ImageRequest.Builder(context)
        .data(R.drawable.user_placeholder)
        .build()
)