Can I use AWS SDK Kotlin to replace AWS SDK Android, or should I use AWS Amplify?

[RaulSimoesJFL]

Currently, we use an Android SDK for Android and an iOS SDK for iOS. We received an email saying that we should migrate to Amplify. However, Amplify does not have access to Dynamo, for example. However, when researching whether there is an SDK for Kotlin and an SDK for Swift, I found that...

Although I understand that AWS is suggesting that we should use AWS Amplify in the message below, it has limitations in not allowing direct access to DynamoDB. I would like to know if I can access them directly using the SDK for Kotlin and the SDK for Swift. Another question I would like to know is whether these two SDKs are also suitable to replace the deprecated SDKs, or only Amplify. Why was it suggested to use Amplify and not the SDK for Swift and Kotlin?

The AWS message:
e are contacting you because we noticed that your account currently has one or more apps that are currently using the AWS SDK for iOS and/or the AWS SDK for Android. Effective August 1, 2026, the AWS SDK for iOS and AWS SDK for Android will no longer be supported. Starting August 1, 2025, these SDKs will only receive critical bug fixes and security updates, no new features will be added.

We strongly recommend that you start using AWS Amplify for Swift and Android, our modern feature-rich library designed specifically for building cloud-connected apps powered by AWS. These libraries are built on top of the latest AWS SDK for Swift [1] and AWS SDK for Kotlin [2] respectively.

You can refer to the AWS SDK for iOS [3] and AWS SDK for Android [4] migration guides to help you transition to AWS Amplify for Swift and Android, respectively.

[ianbotsf]

Hi @RaulSimoesJFL, apologies for the confusion.

The old AWS SDKs for Android and iOS offered high-level features beyond what's offered in the standard (i.e., low-level) SDKs. If you were using any of those features such as session management, push notifications, Pinpoint analytics, Cognito integration, etc., then the most suitable replacement is AWS Amplify. I'm not an expert in Amplify but I believe it supports low-level DynamoDB operations. If your primary interest is direct low-level AWS API access, then the AWS SDKs for Kotlin and Swift may be more appropriate.

Does that answer your questions?