Kotlin Academy · Lesson

Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine

Write unit tests for Flow-based state using the Turbine testing library.

Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine is a free Kotlin Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 4 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Kotlin Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Why Turbine?

Turbine is a test library for Kotlin Flow that makes asserting emissions easy. Without it, testing flows requires manual channel collection with timeouts.

// Add to test dependencies:
// testImplementation("app.cash.turbine:turbine:1.0.0")
// testImplementation("org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-coroutines-test:1.7.3")
import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun main() { println("Turbine + runTest = clean flow testing") }

Basic Flow Testing with test()

flow.test { } collects the flow and lets you assert each emission using awaitItem(), awaitComplete(), and awaitError().

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testBasicFlow() = runTest {
    val flow = flowOf(1, 2, 3)
    flow.test {
        assertEquals(1, awaitItem())
        assertEquals(2, awaitItem())
        assertEquals(3, awaitItem())
        awaitComplete()
    }
}

Testing StateFlow

StateFlow always emits its current value on collection. Turbine's awaitItem() captures that initial emission.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testStateFlow() = runTest {
    val state = MutableStateFlow("loading")
    state.test {
        assertEquals("loading", awaitItem())  // initial value
        state.value = "success"
        assertEquals("success", awaitItem())
        cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
    }
}

Testing SharedFlow Events

SharedFlow with replay=0 only emits future events. Start collecting first, then emit.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testSharedFlow() = runTest {
    val events = MutableSharedFlow<String>()
    events.test {
        events.emit("LoginSuccess")
        assertEquals("LoginSuccess", awaitItem())
        events.emit("Navigate")
        assertEquals("Navigate", awaitItem())
        cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
    }
}

runTest for Virtual Time

runTest uses virtual time — delay() calls advance virtual time instantly, making tests with delays fast.

import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
import app.cash.turbine.*
fun testDelayedFlow() = runTest {
    val flow = flow {
        delay(1000)  // virtual — runs instantly
        emit("done")
    }
    flow.test {
        assertEquals("done", awaitItem())
        awaitComplete()
    }
}

awaitError for Exception Testing

awaitError() asserts that the flow terminates with an exception. Use with the expected exception type.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testFlowError() = runTest {
    val flow = flow {
        emit(1)
        throw RuntimeException("stream error")
    }
    flow.test {
        assertEquals(1, awaitItem())
        val error = awaitError()
        assertEquals("stream error", error.message)
    }
}

expectNoEvents and cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents

expectNoEvents() asserts nothing was emitted. cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents() cancels collection, ignoring pending emissions.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testNoEvents() = runTest {
    val flow = MutableSharedFlow<Int>()
    flow.test {
        expectNoEvents()  // nothing emitted yet
        flow.emit(1)
        assertEquals(1, awaitItem())
        cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
    }
}

Testing ViewModel with Turbine

Test a ViewModel's StateFlow by injecting a fake repository and asserting state transitions.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
sealed class State { object Loading : State(); data class Data(val v: String) : State() }
class FakeRepo { suspend fun fetch() = "result" }
class VM(repo: FakeRepo, scope: kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope) {
    private val _s = MutableStateFlow<State>(State.Loading)
    val state = _s.asStateFlow()
    init { scope.launch { _s.value = State.Data(repo.fetch()) } }
}
fun testVM() = runTest {
    val vm = VM(FakeRepo(), backgroundScope)
    vm.state.test {
        assertEquals(State.Loading, awaitItem())
        val data = awaitItem() as State.Data
        assertEquals("result", data.v)
        cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
    }
}

Multiple Collectors with turbineScope

turbineScope { } lets you test multiple flows simultaneously, each with its own Turbine instance.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testMultipleFlows() = runTest {
    val a = MutableStateFlow(1)
    val b = MutableStateFlow("x")
    turbineScope {
        val aTurbine = a.testIn(backgroundScope)
        val bTurbine = b.testIn(backgroundScope)
        assertEquals(1, aTurbine.awaitItem())
        assertEquals("x", bTurbine.awaitItem())
        a.value = 2
        assertEquals(2, aTurbine.awaitItem())
        aTurbine.cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
        bTurbine.cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
    }
}

Testing Flow Operators

Test the behavior of custom flow operators and transformations in isolation using Turbine.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testOperators() = runTest {
    (1..5).asFlow()
        .filter { it % 2 == 0 }
        .map { it * 10 }
        .test {
            assertEquals(20, awaitItem())
            assertEquals(40, awaitItem())
            awaitComplete()
        }
}

Testing with Fake Time Advance

Use testScheduler.advanceTimeBy() to precisely control virtual time in tests involving delay.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testTimedFlow() = runTest {
    val flow = flow {
        emit("start")
        delay(500)
        emit("end")
    }
    flow.test {
        assertEquals("start", awaitItem())
        testScheduler.advanceTimeBy(500)
        assertEquals("end", awaitItem())
        awaitComplete()
    }
}

Common Mistakes

Always cancel Turbine at the end of hot flow tests. Forgetting cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents() causes tests to hang waiting for more events.

import app.cash.turbine.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.test.*
fun testGoodPractice() = runTest {
    val state = MutableStateFlow(0)
    state.test {
        awaitItem()  // initial 0
        state.value = 1
        awaitItem()  // 1
        // Always cancel hot flows:
        cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
    }
}

Quick Check

Which Turbine function collects the next emitted item and throws if the flow completes or errors first?

Recap

Turbine simplifies Flow testing with awaitItem(), awaitComplete(), and awaitError(). Use runTest for virtual time. Always cancel hot flow tests with cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents().

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine” is free to read here on the web, and the Kotlin Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Kotlin Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine”?

Write unit tests for Flow-based state using the Turbine testing library. You practise Kotlin Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Kotlin Academy?

No prior experience is required. Kotlin Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 4 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Kotlin Academy lesson?

Yes. Every Kotlin Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

StateFlow: Hot State Holder for UI
SharedFlow: Event Buses and One-Shot Events
Converting Cold Flow to Hot with shareIn and stateIn
Testing StateFlow and SharedFlow with Turbine

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