Plain-language answers for app owners dealing with Google Play warnings, old Android projects, APK/AAB files and release problems. No Android development knowledge required.
Google Play changes its target API requirement on August 31, 2026. Here is what API 36 means, what happens to existing apps, and how to check an APK or AAB before your next update.
Read guide →Learn which release facts can be read from a compiled APK or AAB, including package identity, versionCode and target SDK, and what still requires source code.
Read guide →Google Play requires 16 KB page-size support for qualifying Android 15+ submissions. Learn why native .so libraries matter and why a target SDK check alone is not enough.
Read guide →A successful local build does not guarantee a successful Google Play submission. Learn the release checks that can still block an APK or AAB.
Read guide →A safe migration path for an old Android project: preserve the original, inspect the build, update tooling and API level, test Android 16 behaviour and validate a fresh release artifact.
Read guide →APK and AAB files serve different jobs. Learn which one Google Play expects, which one installs on a device, and what release metadata can be checked in each.
Read guide →targetSdk and compileSdk are related but not interchangeable. Learn what each value does and why an Android 16 migration normally updates and tests both.
Read guide →If Play Console says your Android app must target Android 16, start by checking the current build, then repair the source rather than only changing a number.
Read guide →versionCode and versionName are different Android release values. Learn which one Google Play uses to order releases and how to verify both in a compiled build.
Read guide →Native .so files can change the risk of an Android update. Learn how to identify them and why their presence triggers a deeper 16 KB compatibility check.
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