Google Play Console: new requirements

[trevix]

Google console is gettings more and more complicated, so that every time I open Google console I find a new layout(sigh).
Lately I got these two advises:

• The app must target Android 15 (API level 35) or later. To be resolved by: Aug 31

• The app must use Google Play Billing Library version 7.0.0 or later. To be resolved by: Aug 31

Anybody has some info on this. Does LC has to release a new version?
Thanks
Trevix

[Klaus]

Bongiorno trevix,

I already mentioned this on the LC mailing list, but no reaction from the mothership so far.
But I'm sure they will (HAVE TO) publish a new version in the near future.

Best

Klaus

[trevix]

Buongiorno a te.
Grazie per la risposta. Vedremo...

[jaui]

Yes, Google now requires API 35 or higher, and now starts the frustrating game with LiveCode, which is still stuck at API 34 and does not accept API 35 and certainly not the API36 already available in Android Studio to build an aab.file.

[SteveB]

Yes, I have this issue as well. I hoped it would have been fixed in 10.0.2 but no such luck. Still stuck on API34.

I guess, like previous years, it's going to appear at the very last minute, and it will then be a mad rush to update and publish all the non-compliant apps...

[LiveCode_Panos]

Hello all,

The deadline for building against the Android API 35 SDK and for including v7 of the Google Billing Library (in case you are using in-app purchases in your project) is the 31st of August.

This means that you can still submit a new app or an update to an existing app *before* the 31st of August built against API 34 (which is currently supported). Any submissions *after* the 31st of August must have been built against API 35.

That said, we will release a new version (10.0.3 RC-1) that supports API 35 and v7 of the Google Billing Library before the 31st of August. In the meanwhile, you can use LC 10.0.2 for submitting apps to the Play Store

Kind regards,
Panos
--

[Klaus]

Hi Panos,

This means that you can still submit a new app or an update to an existing app *before* the 31st of August built against API 34 (which is currently supported). Any submissions *after* the 31st of August must have been built against API 35.

this is not correct, according to Googles mail it is MANDATORY to upload an update to existing apps in that
timeframe to meet the new requirements!

From the mail:

Aus diesem Grund müssen alle Apps bei Google Play bis zum 31.08.2025 die Anforderungen an das Ziel-API-Level erfüllen.

For this reason (best user experience yadda yadda yadda) all apps in the Google play store must fullfill these new requirements unto august 31!


Best

Klaus

[LiveCode_Panos]

Hello Klaus,

Thank you for your reply. This is what they say in Google Play's support pages:

Code: Select all

Starting August 31 2025:
New apps and app updates must target Android 15 (API level 35) or higher to be submitted to Google Play; except for Wear OS, Android Automotive OS, and Android TV apps, which must target Android 14 (API level 34) or higher.
Existing apps must target Android 14 (API level 34) or higher to remain available to new users on devices running Android OS higher than your app’s target API level. Apps that target Android 13 (API level 33) or lower, including Android 12 (API level 31) or lower for Wear OS and Android TV, will only be available on devices running Android OS that are the same or lower than your apps’ target API level.
You will be able to request an extension to November 1, 2025 if you need more time to update your app. You'll be able to access your app's extension forms in Play Console later this year.

So my understanding is that this new policy is enforced *after* the 31st of August. In any case, we will release a new build before that date, so you should rest assured

Kind regards,
Panos

[Klaus]

Hm, this sounds a bit different than the mail I got from Google.

Who can assure what is correct now?
Update with API 35 neccessary for existing apps or not?

[LiveCode_Panos]

Hello Klaus,

My understanding is that if you do NOT update an existing app, then *after* the 31st of August it will be reachable only by devices running a version of Android that is equal or less to the target version. So if you currently have apps built with 10.0.2 (i.e. against API 34), this means that now they are available to any device, but after the 31st of August they will be shown only to devices running up to Android 14 (API 34 is Android 14). So if someone has a device running Android 15 or 16, they will not be able to see your app in the Play Store.

But once you rebuild these apps against API 35, they will be available again to any Android device (running any Android version).

Does that make sense?

So my suggestion is yes, you have to update your apps, but nothing terrible will happen in the worst case scenario where you miss the 31st of August deadline by 1-2 days.

(The new LC release that will support building against API 35 will definitely be available before the 31st of August)

Kind regards,
Panos
--

[Klaus]

Hi Panos,

yes, that makes sense, thanks for the elaborate explanation!

Best

Klaus