Android ViewModel is an important part of the Android architecture components introduced by Google. It is designed to store and manage UI-related data in a lifecycle-conscious way, allowing data to survive configuration changes such as screen rotations. In this article, we'll dive into the basics of Android ViewModel and how it can improve the way you handle data in your Android app.

## What is Android ViewModel?

Android ViewModel is a part of the Android Architecture Components, which are a collection of libraries that help you design robust, testable, and maintainable apps. ViewModel is specifically designed to store and manage UI-related data, ensuring that this data survives configuration changes.

In the context of the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architecture pattern, ViewModel acts as a middleman between the View and the Model. It retrieves data from the Model and prepares it for display in the View. This separation of concerns makes the code more modular, testable, and maintainable.

## Benefits of Using Android ViewModel

There are several benefits to using Android ViewModel in your app development process. One of the key benefits is that it helps in keeping UI-related data separate from the UI controller (Activity or Fragment). This separation enhances the testability of your code, as you can easily write unit tests for the ViewModel without needing to involve the Android framework.

Another benefit of ViewModel is that it helps in managing the lifecycle of data. When the associated UI controller is destroyed and recreated, such as during a configuration change, the ViewModel persists and retains the data, ensuring a smooth user experience.

## How to Use Android ViewModel

To use Android ViewModel in your app, you need to extend the `ViewModel` class provided by the Android Architecture Components. You then create methods to retrieve and modify the UI-related data, and the ViewModel takes care of managing the data throughout the app's lifecycle.

You can then observe the data in the ViewModel from your UI controller (Activity or Fragment) using LiveData, which is another component of the Android Architecture Components. LiveData is an observable data holder class that is lifecycle-aware, meaning it only updates the UI when the associated lifecycle is in an active state.

In conclusion, Android ViewModel is a powerful tool for managing UI-related data in your Android app. By using ViewModel, you can ensure that your app's data remains consistent and survives configuration changes, leading to a more robust and user-friendly app. We hope this article has provided you with a clear understanding of Android ViewModel and how it can benefit your app development process.