Develop Reference

Which API levels to load in Android Studio?

Is each Android Studio API level a cumulative of previous levels PLUS new features for newer devices?
Example:
Level 22 (Android 5, Lollipop)
Level 23 (Android 6, Marshmellow)
Level ...
Level 29 (Android 10)
Level 30 (Android 11)
Level 31
Level 31 is for the new Android 12.0, but does Level 31 also include everything that preceded it, Levels 22-30? Can I just load Level 31 and assume Android 5.1 thru Android 11 are supported from the Level 31 API? Or must I still add Levels 22-30 to my project in order to support all those previous Android versions?
My understanding is that I must still load Levels 22-30, but I have never had clarity on the topic.

If you want API for an emulator, you are right, you have to add API Levels 22-30 individually from AVD manager to use those Android versions. But if you want your app to be compatible with Android devices from API 22 to 31 you just need to add SDK from SDK manager-> SDK Platforms and select API level 22 and 31 then just add minSdkVersion level 22 and targetSdkVersion level 31 in your build.gradle (Module) file.

How do i upgrade my android target API in Meteor

I am building an android app with Meteor/Cordova. My meteor is currently version 1.5, Cordova 4.3.0. My default build uses API 25 but when I try to submit my APK to the play store, I get this message:
Your app currently targets API level 25 and must target at least API level 26 to ensure it is built on the latest APIs optimized for security and performance. Change your app's target API level to at least 26
.
How do I upgrade to API level 26?

inside mobile-config.js add
App.setPreference('android-targetSdkVersion', '26');

Go to gradle, and search for targetSdkVersion = 25 . Change it to use android targetSdkVersion = 26

Change your app's target API level to at least 26

When I raise my app on Google play
This shows me the problem
Your app currently targets API level 25 and must target at least API level 26 to ensure it is built on the latest APIs optimized for security and performance. Change your app's target API level to at least 26
Note I use Unity
You have updated sdk the latest version
Please help how I change API level to at least 26
in Unity
Thanks

Just open your build.gradle(Module: app) and change your compileSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion 26 or more than 26.

Target API level is a setting in PlayerSetting. Just change it there

go to build.gradle file in your project
look for defaultTargetSdkVersion & defaultCompileSdkVersion
then change value to 26

Newbie in Android: minSdkVersion vs compileSdkVersion

Hy,
I have some basic doubts about developing with android studio:
minSdkVersion 15: with this configuration I am forcing to use only
the features from api level 15 and not higher. Is correct? For what I
read I dont think so
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 24: with this configuration I
can use api level until level 24. Is this correct?
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 23: with this configuration if I
use api features from api 23, this application wont work in an android
device with api level 20 for example, right?
With the previous configuration, and android device with api level 20
will be able to download and install the application because its api is
higher than the minSdkVersion 15 but will not be able to run because it
has features from api 23, right?
If I want to make sure that I want to use an api level and not higher
because of the previous problems commented, the configuration minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 15 is the only way? is a common
practice?
Thanks a lot!

minSdkVersion 15: with this configuration I am forcing to use only the features from api level 15 and not higher. Is correct?
No. A minSdkVersion of 15 means that you do not want your app to run on devices with a lower API level than that. 15 corresponds to Android 4.0.3.
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 24: with this configuration I can use api level until level 24. Is this correct?
Your IDE will allow you to write code using classes, methods, fields, etc. from API Level 24. Your IDE should also warn you that using classes, methods, fields, etc. that were added to the SDK after API Level 15 may result in runtime errors.
minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 23: with this configuration if I use api features from api 23, this application wont work in an android device with api level 20 for example, right?
Well, API Level 20 is a special Android version for the first-generation Android Wear devices. But if we switch that to API Level 19 (Android 4.4), if you blindly call an Android 5.1 (API Level 23) method, you will crash on Android 4.4. This is why the IDE will warn you about this, why you often see checks of BuildConfig.VERSION.SDK_INT, and why the SDK has these ...Compat classes (which try to hide a lot of these version differences).
With the previous configuration, and android device with api level 20 will be able to download and install the application because its api is higher than the minSdkVersion 15 but will not be able to run because it has features from api 23, right?
The device will attempt to run the app. How far it gets depends on how well the app is written. Again, you can create an app that uses newer-API features that gracefully degrades to run on older devices. This is not significantly different than how a Web site or Web app might want to use the latest HTML5 features but gracefully degrades to handle older or less-capable browsers.
If I want to make sure that I want to use an api level and not higher because of the previous problems commented, the configuration minSdkVersion 15 and compileSdkVersion 15 is the only way?
No. Again, the IDE will (usually) yell at you when you try using SDK features that are acceptable for the compileSdkVersion but are newer than the minSdkVersion.
is a common practice?
Not since 2010 or so.
FWIW, here is the documentation on this subject, limited as it may be.

Cannot change API Level on Android Studio

I'm very new to Android development and this is one of my first projects. I realized that my API Level is set to 20 when datepicker gave an "exception rasied during rendering" error.
I wanted to change the API level to 19 as the API 20 is set to wearable devices. I have installed the API 19 SDK but it doesnt appear for selection during development.
I have also tried to set -
minSdkVersion 10
targetSdkVersion 20
on build gradle but it doesn't work.
I cannot run the emulator as the API is set to 20 and it will display error on a watch :(
How do I set make the API 19 as one of the options during development as I already installed the SDK?

Set
compileSdkVersion 19
in your build.gradle.
minSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion control app installation and runtime backwards compatibility modes, not the SDK you build with.