When is a ViewModel destroyed?

A ViewModel is designed to store and manage UI-related data in a lifecycle-conscious way, allowing data to survive configuration changes such as screen rotations. The correct choice indicates that a ViewModel is destroyed after the onDestroy lifecycle event of an Activity or Fragment, but only in the absence of a configuration change that necessitates the ViewModel to persist.

When an Activity goes through its lifecycle, it can experience several scenarios. Typically, when an Activity is destroyed due to user navigation or the system reclaiming resources, the ViewModel will also be destroyed. However, if the Activity is temporarily destroyed due to a configuration change, such as a screen rotation, the ViewModel will not be destroyed; rather, it will be retained to preserve the UI state and data.

The understanding of lifecycle management is crucial here. While the lifecycle methods like onStop and onDestroy are involved in managing an Activity's state, they do not singularly dictate the fate of the ViewModel. Option C specifically addresses the context in which a ViewModel is destroyed—highlighting the significance of configuration changes, which is a key concept in Android development that enables seamless user experiences.