Google raises the minimum Android version that apps on Google Play must target once a year. An app that nobody maintains misses it without anyone noticing, until the next update is refused or new customers can no longer find it.
Deadlines as published in Google's target API level requirements for Google Play apps, checked on 8 October 2026. Google decides; its page is the reference.
The deadlines that apply now
For phones and tablets, two rules apply since August 31, 2026:
- New apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher to be submitted.
- Existing apps must target Android 15 (API level 35) or higher to stay available to new users whose devices run a newer Android version than the app targets.
Other device types have their own minimum for new apps and updates:
| App type | New apps and updates must target |
|---|---|
| Phones and tablets | Android 16 (API level 36) |
| Wear OS, Android Automotive OS | Android 15 (API level 35) |
| Android TV, Android XR | Android 14 (API level 34) |
Apps that are private to one organisation and distributed internally are exempt.
Google Play says your app is affected. What now?
Three steps, in this order:
- Check the current target of the version that is live. It is the targetSdkVersion in the app's build settings.
- Request the extension if you need time. Google grants it until November 1, 2026, through a form linked in the app's notifications in Play Console.
- Plan the update: raise the target, update the libraries and build tools that depend on it, test on real devices and release.
If nobody on your side can build the app any more, the target API level is not the real problem. Then the first question is who controls the code, the signing key and the Play Console account, which is what the App Check at $2,000 answers.
What the update usually involves
Raising the target switches on the behaviour changes of that Android version. For Android 16, Google's list of behaviour changes includes two that affect many apps:
- Edge to edge without opt-out: the app draws behind the status and navigation bars, so screens may need new spacing.
- Large screens: on displays whose smallest width is 600dp or more, such as tablets and many foldables, Android by default ignores the app's orientation and resizing restrictions, so a phone-only layout has to work in landscape and wider windows. Games are exempt, and a temporary opt-out exists.
One more deadline is coming: apps that target Android 15 or higher must support 16 KB memory page sizes, and from February 1, 2027 Google Play will refuse updates that do not, according to Google's page size guide. Apps with native code or older libraries are the ones most likely to need work.
The iPhone side
Apple has a comparable rule. According to Apple's upcoming requirements, apps uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with Xcode 26 or later using the iOS 26 SDK since April 28, 2026, and must target iOS 13 or later since September 9, 2026. An app whose build setup is years old usually needs both platforms brought up to date at once.
Who keeps track of this
Store deadlines come every year, on Google's and Apple's schedule. In App Care at $1,400 a month they are part of the job: new Android and iOS versions, SDK updates and store deadlines are handled before they block a release. If the app has no developer at the moment, the App Takeover from $10,500 secures the accounts and keys in your name and submits the first update from your own accounts. All prices are net; the tax treatment is clarified before contract and stated in the offer.