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trunks_slash
New Member
March 10, 2024
Solved

Changing Target SDK for app compatibility

  • March 10, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 2 views

I am following up on an article I read by @jasonbayton  that was about using adb to force install apps that would otherwise be incompatible. In the article you mentioned that there were no other ways to bypass SDK restrictions, but would it not be possible to change values in the app manifest to accomplish the same thing? Thanks for your time and information!

 

https://bayton.org/android/android-14-minimum-sdk/#is-it-possible-to-test-the-changes

 

    Best answer by jasonbayton

    You'll have to pull debug logs to understand why that is, could be anything from a typo in the changes you made to a security exception using APIs you no longer have access to. 

     

    ADB is for testing, it's not a production solution. Keeping your app secure and up to date is favourable 🙂

    2 replies

    J
    jasonbayton
    Level: 4.1: Jelly bean
    March 10, 2024

    Hey @trunks_slash 

    You can of course change the target SDK version in the app's manifest. That wasn't explicitly stated as by doing so to a newer SDK version, you no longer have an app which targets a too-low API level 🙂

     

    So yes, unequivocally, updating the app to increase this and publishing a new release version would resolve this. Just keep in mind with newer SDK levels come additional requirements and limitations on deprecated APIs, so some things you've relied on in the past may not work in future. 

     

    Here's some reading on SDK targeting if you're interested - 

    https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element

      T
      trunks_slashAuthor
      New Member
      March 10, 2024

      Oh I see, would you say that using adb would be a better option for compatibility? My test app is crashing consistently at the menu, but I edited the targetsdk and could have put in the wrong variables.

      J
      jasonbaytonAnswer
      Level: 4.1: Jelly bean
      March 10, 2024

      You'll have to pull debug logs to understand why that is, could be anything from a typo in the changes you made to a security exception using APIs you no longer have access to. 

       

      ADB is for testing, it's not a production solution. Keeping your app secure and up to date is favourable 🙂

        T
        trunks_slashAuthor
        New Member
        March 10, 2024

        Awesome! Thanks for your help!

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