With the upcoming release of Android 15, Google will make it virtually impossible to install some Android apps because a new minimum requirement is coming.
For some time Android apps have had to aim for at least Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), but Android 15 moves up towards that minimum.
As Android police notes via Android 15 Developer Preview 2 code, the new minimum that Google is working on (but hasn’t locked down yet) is that apps will need to target at least Android 7.1. That’s SDK version 24, where Android 15 would be version 35.
This blocking appears to be already in place, with the older Android 6.0 app installing perfectly fine on Android 14, but not at all on current versions of Android 15. This was tested by installing the app via ADB. On the device itself, the Google Play Protect prompt blocks the installation, but offers the option to install the app anyway, which in the end doesn’t work. Installation is blocked by the OS itself.
In reality, it probably won’t affect the vast majority of apps on your device. While Android 6.0 is often the oldest version of the OS that apps will support, most apps target much newer, if not the latest, versions of Android. However, affected apps will require the developer to upgrade the target version in order for the app to continue to install.
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