NavBackStackEntry in composable() returns a different ViewModelStore every time it's called. Is it a desired behavior?

Each destination instance has its own Lifecycle, ViewModelStore, SavedStateRegistry, and remembered state, yes. If you hit the system back button to go back to an existing destination instance, you'll get the same ones as the first time. That's how state restoration works

I'm not talking about different destinations. The same destination returns different ViewModelStore every time it's launched (BottomNavigation, using the example from the docs)

navController.popBackStack(navController.graph.startDestination, false)

if (currentRoute != routeToOpen) {
    navController.navigateTo(routeToOpen)
}

Whenever you

navigate

, you are creating a brand new instance. The only time in the current world where you get a previously created instance is when you hit the system back button

Ah that makes sense. Thanks for clarification