Google recently announced, that "updates to apps and games on Google Play will be required to target Android 9 (API level 28) or higher". As far as I understand, this does not have any negative consequences (like, the apps are removed from store) to existing apps with a targetSdkVersion lower than 28. Is this true? So, what google wants to say is just that I'm no longer able to update existing apps with targetSdkVersion < 28?
Last year Google notified developers to upgrade your Apps which should be at least API-LEVEL 26.
Now same thing we have to do upgrade API-Level, existing applications will not stop or removed but new builds we can not publish on play store which are below> API Level 28.
Yes you are right, starting from November 1 Google won't allow you to submit to console if the target is less than 28
Related
If my App has minSDKVersion = 16 and TargetSDKVersion = 28, then will Google somehow upgrade my App to work with devices which use sdk version greater than 28?
And if the same is true for all future versions of SDK then if I dont update my app meanwhile?
Please excuse me as my English is not good. Thanks.
Google never ever updates your apps for the latest SDK, you have to do it yourself and publish again. I know its a pain when google play console frequently changes requirements to support certain Target API Level but its the pain you have to endure. TargetSDKVersion is the last SDK / API which your app will support.
No, you will need to do an update by changing your targetSDK from your build.gradle file, then make the required changes in your code to work with that API level and you can upload an update.
The Playstore will not update it automatically, that's why it's called targetSDKVersion, it will just be available from SDK 16 until the target one, 28.
Recently i got a mail from google to change the targetsdkversion to 26 or above
but i have a question regarding this :
In my console i have around 50 android applications of which there are only 8 apps which are under production(in Live) and the rest apps i have already unpublished it and i will not use it any more (means i will not publish those apps again) so my point is should i need to update the unpublished app to change the targetsdkversion to 26 or above as in mail i got if account has more than 20 apps which are not targetsdkverion 26 it may affect account
please help me what to do
From android docs:
Google Play will require that new apps target at least Android 8.0
(API level 26) from August 1, 2018, and that app updates target
Android 8.0 from November 1, 2018
You don't need to update your production apps until you actually wanted to release new update.
One more important fact:
Configuring your app to target a recent API level ensures that users
can benefit from these improvements, while still allowing it to run on
older Android versions.
If you will not publish those apps again then don't worry for account. Just update apps those are under production
I tried to submit my updated application to playstore. When I tried upload the apk on production, there was notice saying
Play Store will require that new apps and app
updates target a recent Android API level. This will be required for
new apps in August 2018, and for updates to existing apps in November
2018. This is to ensure apps are built on the latest APIs optimized for security and performance.
Currently, my application was set minSDKVersion 19 and targetSDKVersion as 23.
Does that mean I have to update my application to targetSDKVersion 26?
I have tried to change this and upload it. I seems to have error saying about the downgrade (Sorry I should have make a note of the message).
Does that mean I have to update my application to targetSDKVersion 26?
Yes. But for now its just a warning, it will enforced from beginning of August for new apps. Do take note that deadline for app update is November.
have tried to change this and upload it. I seems to have error saying
about the downgrade
Since you don't have complete error message, one probable cause of this issue is, you are trying to upload an app which has VersionCode less than the app available on play store. Re-check your version code and increase it if needed.
August 2018: New apps required to target API level 26 (Android 8.0) or
higher.
November 2018: Updates to existing apps required to target API level 26 or higher.
2019 onwards: Each year the targetSdkVersion
requirement will advance. Within one year following each Android
dessert release, new apps and app updates will need to target the
corresponding API level or higher.
source: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/12/improving-app-security-and-performance.html
I am about to update a new version of my app to the Google play store and I am using Google play services for admob. My minsdk is 8. I understand that to use google play service I have to have at least API 9 minimum. However I do have users who are using the app on API 8. In my code I have platform version checks which ensure that on API level 8 not adverts are shown. However, I am getting a warning on Google play:
You uploaded an APK that uses Google Play services version 8298000. This will only work with Android API levels of 9 and above. It is discouraged to use this Google Play services version unless you have set the minSdkVersion in your manifest to 9 or higher
My app won't crash on API 8 because of the checks in place.
Will Google play accept the apk if I ignore the warning?
If I change minsdk to 9, what's going to happen to people who were using it on API 8 - will they be able to reinstall it again?
Answering to your question (2), if you increase the minimum SDK to 9, the update will not be proposed to users having a API 8 device.
What happens to existing users with the app installed when minSdkVersion is raised and their SDK version is less than that?
Do they still get the update from Google Play with a subsequent crash? Or do they stop getting updates from Google Play?
Below happens on minSdkVersion change
On apk upload, Google plays warns you on minSdkVersion telling how many users will be affected.
Existing users lower than minSdkVersion won't get update and cannot
see app in PlayStore
Existing users lower than minSdkVersion, if they uninstall, cannot
reinstall the application.
I suggest you use multiple apk option in PlayStore and continue to update your newer apk. Just keep the old one as it is.
For example, you can publish your application with one APK that
supports API levels 4 - 7 (Android 1.6 - 2.1)—using only APIs
available since API level 4 or lower—and another APK that supports API
levels 8 and above (Android 2.2+)—using APIs available since API level
8 or lower.
For more, read the android documentation on multiple apk support.
They will not get an update and it won't show up on Google Play for them any more. The version they have installed will remain on their device.