Google's Message on Android App Requirements

Received a Google email about your Android app? If it says your app targets an old Android version (API level) or uses an old Billing library version, and gives you a deadline, here's the breakdown.

Breaking it Down

Every year, Google refines the standards for Android apps using 'API levels'. These are crucial indicators of how your app interacts with different Android versions. They're split into:

• Minimum API Level: The oldest Android version your app can run on.
• Target API Level: The Android version your app is best suited for.

The email you've received is focusing on the Target API Level. Google raises it every year, and your message names the exact level and deadline that apply to your app. (In 2025, for example, every new app or update submitted from August 31, 2025 had to target at least API Level 35 and billing library 7.0.0.)

Message only about the Billing library? See this article.

Implications for Your Existing App

• ✅ Google doesn't pull your live app just because a deadline passed. It stays discoverable as long as it isn't too far behind. Your message tells you if yours is.
• The rule matters when you publish a new app or an update: from Google's deadline, your new build has to meet the new level.
• Your Google message (and your Play Console) tells you exactly what applies to your app. Read it, then check when your live version was built.

BDK's Revised API & Billing Library Standards

Starting July 9, 2025, we're elevating our game. All new bdk Android builds & rebuilds now have:

• Target API Level 36
• Require a Minimum API Level of 28
• Billing library version 8.0.0

Every year, prior to Google's update deadlines, we tweak these levels to make sure your app stays fresh, shedding support for outdated Android versions and embracing the latest.

How do I check when my live version was built?

Open your app's Google Play listing and look at the version number under App info → Version. Then compare it with the build history on your BDK project page. If it was built before July 9, 2025, or Google's message asks for more than the levels above, order a rebuild.

Ready for an Immediate Upgrade?

Eager to align with Google's fresh standards right away? Tap Request rebuild on your project's Dashboard at your bdk native project page, then publish the new Android build to Google Play as an update.

• It comes out of your banked rebuilds. Every build purchase comes with 4, valid for 12 months from payment
• None left? An extra rebuild is $19 (prices as of 19 October 2026)
• Find them in your project's Purchases tab, or tap Request rebuild on your project's Dashboard

Crave More Insights?

For a deeper dive, check out Google's official post on API levels and Billing library.

Feeling Pressured? Need More Time?

Don't sweat it. Google sometimes offers an extension. If it does, you'll find the form in the Play Console by clicking the notification message from Google play, or on the Policy status page. (In 2025, the extension ran to November 1, 2025.)

Updated on: 11/04/2026