Badge
Badge Types, Use-Cases & Best Practices (2026)
Badges are one of the smallest UI components, yet they play a huge role in user experience.
From showing unread notifications to highlighting new features, badges quietly communicate important information without disturbing users.
In this article, we’ll deeply understand Badge in Jetpack Compose, when to use it, when to avoid it, and how professionals use it in real apps.
📌 What is a Badge?
A Badge is a small UI indicator used to show notifications, counts, or status without taking too much space. It is informational only and usually attached to icons, tabs, or avatars.
- Counts (notifications, cart items)
- Status (online, live)
- Attention signals (new content available)
👉 A badge is informational, not interactive.
In Jetpack Compose, badges are part of Material 3 and are used inside a BadgedBox.
What types of badges exist?
There are 4 types of badges mostly used in Android App. According to it's size we can say there are two types 1. Small Badge 2. Large Badge
1. Numeric Badge – Shows a number (5, 99+)
Use cases:
- Notifications
- Unread messages
- Cart items
2. Dot Badge – Small dot without text (attention indicator)
Use cases:
- New feature available
- Unread content exists
- Attention required (without exact count)
📌 Use when number is not important
3.Status Badge – Shows state (Online, Offline) using color or short text.
Use cases:
- Profile avatars
- Chat apps
- Streaming apps
4. Label / Tag Badge – Short text (NEW, PRO, BETA)
⚠️ Avoid long text
For labels, sometimes Chip is a better choice.
Source Code:
@OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
@Composable
fun BadgeDemoApp() {
var notificationCount by remember { mutableIntStateOf(3) }
var cartCount by remember { mutableIntStateOf(5) }
var isOnline by remember { mutableStateOf(true) }
Scaffold(
topBar = {
TopAppBar(
title = { Text("Badge Demo App") },
actions = {
// Numeric Badge (Notification)
BadgedBox(
badge = {
if (notificationCount > 0) {
Badge { Text("$notificationCount") }
}
}
) {
IconButton(onClick = { notificationCount++ }) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Notifications, null)
}
}
}
)
},
bottomBar = {
NavigationBar {
// Navigation Badge
NavigationBarItem(
selected = true,
onClick = {},
icon = {
BadgedBox(
badge = {
if (cartCount > 0) {
Badge { Text("$cartCount") }
}
}
) {
Icon(Icons.Default.ShoppingCart, null)
}
},
label = { Text("Cart") }
)
}
}
) { padding ->
Column(
modifier = Modifier
.padding(padding)
.padding(16.dp),
verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(24.dp)
) {
// 1. Dot Badge (New content)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(badge = { Badge() }) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Email, null)
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Text("Dot Badge – New Content")
}
// 2. Numeric Badge (Cart)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(
badge = { Badge { Text("$cartCount") } }
) {
Icon(Icons.Default.ShoppingCart, null)
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Button(onClick = { cartCount++ }) {
Text("Add Item")
}
}
// 3. Status Badge (Online / Offline)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(
badge = {
Badge(
containerColor = if (isOnline) Color.Green else Color.Gray
)
}
) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Person, null)
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Button(onClick = { isOnline = !isOnline }) {
Text(if (isOnline) "Go Offline" else "Go Online")
}
}
// 4. Icon Badge (Verified)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(
badge = {
Badge(containerColor = Color.Blue) {
Icon(
Icons.Default.Check,
contentDescription = null,
modifier = Modifier.size(12.dp)
)
}
}
) {
Icon(Icons.Default.AccountCircle, null)
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Text("Icon Badge – Verified")
}
// 5. Text Label Badge (NEW / PRO)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(
badge = {
Badge(containerColor = Color.Red) {
Text("NEW", fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold)
}
}
) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Star, null)
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Text("Text Label Badge")
}
// 6. Avatar Badge (Profile Status)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(
badge = {
Badge(
containerColor = if (isOnline) Color.Green else Color.Gray,
modifier = Modifier.size(10.dp)
)
}
) {
Icon(
Icons.Default.Person,
contentDescription = null,
modifier = Modifier.size(48.dp)
)
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Text("Avatar Status Badge")
}
// 7. Action Badge (Avoid – demo only)
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
BadgedBox(
badge = {
Badge { Text("!") }
}
) {
IconButton(onClick = { /* avoid interaction in badge */ }) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Warning, null)
}
}
Spacer(Modifier.width(12.dp))
Text("Action Badge (Not Recommended)")
}
}
}
}OUTPUT:
Can a badge be clickable?
- No. Badges are informational only.
- If you want interaction, wrap the icon in a Clickable or IconButton and update the badge dynamically.
Why Badges Matter in Real Apps
- Badges improve UX by:
- Reducing unnecessary navigation
- Showing important updates instantly
- Keeping UI clean and minimal
📱 Real-world examples:
WhatsApp → unread messages count
Gmail → new email indicator
Amazon → cart item count
Instagram → story dot badge
How do I create a Badge?
BadgedBox(badge = { Badge { Text("3") } }) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Notifications, contentDescription = "Notifications")
}- Wrap your main content in BadgedBox.
- Pass a Badge as the badge parameter.
How do I update a Badge dynamically?
var count by remember { mutableStateOf(1) }
BadgedBox(badge = { if (count > 0) Badge { Text("$count") } }) {
IconButton(onClick = { count++ }) {
Icon(Icons.Default.Notifications, contentDescription = null)
}
}✅ Badge automatically updates when count changes.
✔ BadgedBox → container
✔ Badge → indicator
✔ Icon / Image → main content
Can I customize badge color or size?
Badge(
containerColor = Color.Red,
contentColor = Color.White
) {
Text("99+")
}- containerColor → background
- contentColor → text or icon color
👉 Rule of thumb
If user can click → Chip
If just showing info → Badge
If user can click → Chip
If just showing info → Badge
Real App Examples
- WhatsApp → unread messages count
- Instagram → story dot
- Gmail → new email count
- Amazon → cart item count
Common mistakes with Badge
- Using badges for long text or paragraphs
- Making badges interactive
- Ignoring state updates → UI won’t reflect counts
When NOT to Use Badge
- For user input
- For long descriptions
- For main content
- For interactive actions
Remember: Badge supports UI, it is not UI itself.
In short
| Badge Type | Shows | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Numeric | Count | Notifications |
| Dot | Attention | New content |
| Status | State | Online / Live |
| Icon | Symbol | Verified / Error |
| Text Label | Tag | NEW / PRO |
| Navigation | Count / Dot | Tabs / BottomBar |
| Avatar | Status / Icon | Profile state |
| Action | Clickable | Rare (avoid) |
🏁 Our Final Thoughts
Badges may look simple, but misusing them hurts UX.
Used correctly, they:
- Improve clarity
- Reduce user effort
- Make apps feel polished and professional
