April 12, 2024

Best Kotlin Project Ideas for Beginners

Are you interested in cross-platform app development? Then Kotlin is the easiest way for it. Kotlin makes programming simple and is designed to operate concisely with Java & JVM libraries.

Mastering this language will be the easiest if you get hands-on with simple Kotlin projects for beginners. With this article, let us know the top 12 Kotlin projects for beginners.

12 Beginner-Friendly Kotlin Project Ideas – Overview

Here’s an overview of the 12 best Kotlin projects for beginners:

S.No.	Project Title	Complexity	Estimated Time	Source Code
1	Calculator Application	Easy	12 hours	View Code
2	Task Manager Application	Easy	15 hours	View Code
3	Weather App	Easy	15 hours	View Code
4	To-Do List Application	Easy	15 hours	View Code
5	Quiz Game	Easy	18 hours	View Code
6	Movie Recommendation System	Medium	20 hours	View Code
7	Notes Application	Medium	20 hours	View Code
8	Chat Application	Medium	20 hours	View Code
9	Recipe Finder	Medium	20 hours	View Code
10	Expense Tracker	Medium	25 hours	View Code
11	Personalized Recipe Recommendation App	Medium	25 hours	View Code
12	Inventory Management App	Medium	12 hours	View Code

Top 12 Kotlin Projects for Beginners

Below are the top 12 Kotlin mini projects for beginners:

1. Calculator Application

This project involves creating a basic calculator app using Kotlin, focusing on performing arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Through this project, you will learn about Kotlin syntax, UI development with Android Studio, and event handling.

Duration: 12 hours

Project Complexity: Easy

Learning Outcome: Understanding of Kotlin syntax, basic UI development, and event handling in Android apps.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic understanding of programming concepts
Familiarity with Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tools, preferably Android Studio
An understanding of object-oriented programming (OOP) principles

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Android SDK

Real-World Application:

Lays the foundation for developing Android applications
Teaches basic arithmetic operation handling in software development

Get Started

2. Task Manager Application

This project is about creating a task manager application using Kotlin, where users can add, edit, and delete tasks, as well as set reminders.

It will introduce you to complex UI elements, local data storage, and notifications in Kotlin.

Duration: 15 hours

Project Complexity: Easy

Learning Outcome: Understanding of Kotlin for managing UI elements, data persistence, and scheduling tasks with notifications.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic knowledge of Kotlin and Android development
Understanding of Android Studio and its emulator
Familiarity with Android UI design principles

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Android SDK

Real-World Application:

Helps users organize their tasks and improve productivity
Demonstrates essential features for personal management applications

Get Started

3. Weather App

This project involves creating a weather application using Kotlin, which fetches and displays weather data for a user’s location or a specified city.

You’ll learn about making API calls, parsing JSON data, and updating UI elements based on network responses in Kotlin.

Duration: 15 hours

Project Complexity: Easy

Learning Outcome: Understanding of making API calls, JSON parsing, and dynamic UI updates in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic understanding of Kotlin syntax and concepts
Familiarity with Android Studio
Knowledge of RESTful APIs and HTTP requests

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Access to a weather API (e.g., OpenWeatherMap API)

Real-World Application:

Provides real-time weather updates and forecasts to users
Teaches data fetching and handling from external APIs, a common requirement for modern apps

Get Started

4. To-Do List Application

This project is about developing a to-do list application using Kotlin, allowing users to add, edit, and delete tasks, as well as organize them into categories.

It will teach you about handling user input, storing data locally on the device, and customizing the user interface.

Duration: 15 hours

Project Complexity: Easy

Learning Outcome: Understanding of handling user input, data storage with SQLite or Room database, and UI customization in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic understanding of Kotlin and Android app development
Familiarity with Android Studio
Knowledge of SQLite or Room for data persistence

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
SQLite or Room Database documentation

Real-World Application:

Enhances personal organization and productivity
Demonstrates key features for any app requiring data persistence and user interaction

Get Started

5. Quiz Game

This project involves creating a quiz game application using Kotlin, where users can answer questions from various categories and see their scores.

It introduces concepts such as handling user interactions, implementing game logic, and using local databases or APIs to fetch questions.

Duration: 18 hours

Project Complexity: Easy

Learning Outcome: Understanding of user interaction, game logic implementation, and data fetching from local or remote sources in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic knowledge of Kotlin programming
Familiarity with Android UI design and development
Understanding of data storage options in Android

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Access to a question database or an API for fetching quiz questions

Real-World Application:

Provides an engaging way to learn and test knowledge in various subjects
Demonstrates the ability to create interactive and educational applications

Get Started

6. Movie Recommendation System

This project involves developing a movie recommendation system using Kotlin, where users can rate movies they’ve watched and receive personalized recommendations based on their preferences.

It will teach you about algorithms for recommendation systems, user profile management, and integrating with movie database APIs.

Duration: 20 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome: Understanding of recommendation algorithms, user profile management, and API integration in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Advanced understanding of Kotlin and Android development
Familiarity with RESTful API integration
Knowledge of algorithms and data structures

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Access to a movie database API (e.g., The Movie Database API)

Real-World Application:

Enhances user experience by providing personalized movie recommendations
Demonstrates complex algorithm implementation and API integration, valuable for a wide range of applications

Get Started

7. Notes Application

This project is about creating a notes application using Kotlin, enabling users to create, edit, and delete notes.

It highlights the use of local data storage for saving notes and customizing the user interface to enhance usability.

Duration: 20 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome: Proficiency in local data storage, UI customization, and basic CRUD operations in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic knowledge of Kotlin and Android app development
Familiarity with Android Studio
Understanding of local data storage options in Android, such as Room or SharedPreferences

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Guide to Android’s data storage options

Real-World Application:

Helps users keep track of important information and tasks
Teaches essential app development skills, including data persistence and UI design

Get Started

8. Chat Application

This project involves creating a chat application using Kotlin, allowing users to send and receive messages in real time.

It will teach you about implementing real-time communication between users, managing user authentication, and storing messages in a database.

Duration: 20 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome: Mastery of real-time communication, user authentication, and database management in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Advanced knowledge of Kotlin and Android development
Familiarity with web sockets or Firebase for real-time communication
Understanding of user authentication methods and database management

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Firebase documentation or other real-time communication service documentation

Real-World Application:

Facilitates instant communication between users, which is essential for social networking apps
Demonstrates key functionalities required for building modern messaging platforms

Get Started

9. Recipe Finder

This project entails building a recipe finder application using Kotlin, where users can search for recipes based on the ingredients they have.

It teaches you about interfacing with external APIs to fetch recipe data, parsing JSON responses, and dynamically updating the UI based on search results.

Duration: 20 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome: Understanding of API integration, JSON parsing, and dynamic UI updates in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Intermediate knowledge of Kotlin and Android development
Familiarity with RESTful API usage and JSON
Basic understanding of asynchronous programming in Android

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Access to a recipe API (e.g., Spoonacular API)

Real-World Application:

Helps users discover recipes based on available ingredients, enhancing cooking experiences
Demonstrates essential skills in API communication and data handling for app development

Get Started

10. Expense Tracker

This project involves developing an expense tracker application using Kotlin, enabling users to record their daily expenses and view spending patterns over time.

It highlights the use of local databases for persisting data and creating dynamic, interactive charts to visualize expense data.

Duration: 25 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome: Mastery of data persistence, user interface design, and data visualization in Kotlin.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Good understanding of Kotlin and basic Android app development
Familiarity with database integration in Android, such as Room or SQLite
Basic knowledge of creating interactive UIs in Android

Resources Required:

Kotlin documentation
Android Studio
Libraries for data visualization (e.g., MPAndroidChart)

Real-World Application:

Assists users in managing their finances by tracking expenses and budgeting
Demonstrates the ability to work with databases and UI libraries, essential for many types of Android applications

Get Started

11. Personalized Recipe Recommendation App

This project involves building an Android app that recommends recipes based on user preferences (e.g., cuisine, dietary restrictions) and available ingredients. You’ll get hands-on experience with Kotlin coroutines, Room database for storing recipes, and networking to fetch recipe data from an API.

Duration: 25 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome:Understanding of Kotlin coroutines, Room database, and API integration.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic Android development with Kotlin
Room Database or SQLite
Coroutines for asynchronous programming

Resources Required:

Android Studio
Recipe API (e.g., Spoonacular)
Kotlin libraries (Coroutines, Retrofit)

Real-World Application:

Personalized meal planners
Cooking apps with customized user recommendations

Get Started

12. Inventory Management App

This project involves creating an Android app that helps users manage their grocery inventory, allowing them to add items, track quantities, and set expiration alerts. You’ll gain experience with Kotlin for data management, implementing notifications for expiration dates, and using a database to persist inventory data.

Duration: 10-12 hours

Project Complexity: Medium

Learning Outcome: Understanding of data management in Kotlin, notifications, and database usage.

Portfolio Worthiness: Yes

Required Pre-requisites:

Basic Android development with Kotlin
Understanding of SQLite or Room database
Notifications in Android

Resources Required:

Android Studio
Room Database or SQLite
Kotlin libraries (Coroutines for asynchronous tasks)

Real-World Application:

Inventory management for households
Grocery shopping assistance tools

Get Started

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some easy Kotlin project ideas for beginners?

Calculator, Task Manager, and Weather App are some easy Kotlin project ideas for beginners.

2. Why are Kotlin projects important for beginners?

Kotlin projects are important for beginners as they offer hands-on experience with a modern, and safe programming language used for Android development.

3. What skills can beginners learn from Kotlin projects?

Beginners can learn object-oriented and functional programming concepts, Android app development, and interoperability with Java from Kotlin projects.

4. Which Kotlin project is recommended for someone with no prior programming experience?

A Simple Calculator App is recommended for someone with no prior programming experience.

5. How long does it typically take to complete a beginner-level Kotlin project?

It typically takes 15 hours to complete a beginner-level Kotlin project.

Wrapping Up

Kotlin is a multi-purpose and cross-platform programming language. Learning this by doing all the above-discussed projects would have a great impact on your development career.

Explore More Kotlin Resources

Explore More Project Ideas

Thirumoorthy

Thirumoorthy serves as a teacher and coach. He obtained a 99 percentile on the CAT. He cleared numerous IT jobs and public sector job interviews, but he still decided to pursue a career in education. He desires to elevate the underprivileged sections of society through education