Android has a huge, huge problem with platform segmentation, which is made even worse by some apps. Some app developers don't really care that much about targeting newer Android versions, or at least not immediately, thinking that it's not a priority. The problem is even worse considering there's a lot of apps being used today that still target ancient Android versions, with Google doing little to nothing to prevent it. Now, with Android 15, Google is going to tighten up things for developers.
As noted by Mishaal Rahman on our sister site Android Police, Google is tightening things up when it comes to the apps that the operating system allows to install. More specifically, Android 15 doesn't allow users to install apps that target an SDK lower than SDK 24. SDK 24 corresponds to Android 7.0 Nougat, which means that apps that target Android 6.0 Marshmallow or an older version of Android can't be installed on Android 15. It's still possible to force install apps that target a lower Android version with ADB commands, but by default, the operating system will not allow these apps to be installed or sideloaded in any way.
This follows a trend that was started by Android 14. The current version of Google's operating system blocks the installation of apps that target SDK 22 (Android 5.1 Lollipop) or lower. Following this logic, then, Android 16 next year should be blocking apps that target Android 7.0, and Android 17 should block apps targeting Android 8.0 in 2026. It's important to note here that the target SDK is not the same thing as the minimum SDK. An app can target Android 15 but still work on much older versions of Android if the minimum SDK allows it. Google here is after apps that target older versions of Android and don't bother targeting newer ones—either because they want to evade new system restrictions/requirements on newer Android versions or because they're just not updated as frequently/thoroughly as they should be.
Unless Google gets rid of this before the final version of Android 15 is released, which is unlikely, then you'll have to say goodbye to Android Marshmallow-era apps. And if you're a developer, do your users a big one and update your apps.
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Digi Yatra app services were put on hold for several days due to which users had to use the manual boarding process at the Airport. Now, the app is up and running but there are some major changes. Digi Yatra has introduced an entirely new app through which users can continue the app services. Reports highlight that several users were disappointed with the change as they had to recreate their accounts and save credentials. Also, very little is being done to inform passengers ahead of time. Now, the Digi Yatra app is urging users to download the newly introduced app to continue their digital boarding process at airports across India.
It’s odd to think back on a time before Baldur’s Gate 3 - and even stranger to think that the sprawling Dungeons & Dragons RPG was actually kicking around for a long while before its 1.0 release blew up awards shows, social media feeds and fan-fiction hubs last summer. Putting the game out into early access at the end of 2020 - multiple years before it was ready for a full release - worked out very well for Larian though, so it’s maybe no surprise that they plan to do exactly the same with whatever comes next.
Apple allowed users to sideload apps and install third-party app stores on the iPhone with its big iOS 17.4 update, but it appears that the company did not do enough. The EU has imposed a hefty fine over the non-satisfactory changes that Apple implemented on the App Store and has requested to further comply with the Digital Markets Act. With a $2 billion fine, Apple was required to update the App Store again with the required changes. The updated App Store guidelines offer the ability for streaming apps to be redirected to an external website along with developers to offer game emulators on the App Store.
There used to be a time, several years ago, when a lot of us would actually turn off Bluetooth if we weren't using it. Bluetooth wasn't as essential of a tool as it is today, and some users assumed that it would drain their phone's battery. Nowadays, though, most people keep Bluetooth on all the time. And as Bluetooth becomes even more essential, Google is making it harder to turn off.
Sony fans aren’t exactly in a great place this year. The current head of PlayStation, Hiroki Totoki, flat out confirmed that they don’t have any big scale first party AAAs scheduled to release for all of this financial year, and we are at month one of that period.
A dataminer has revealed some surprising cut content around one of its most tragic characters. Time and time again, it's become apparent that the devil is in the details of . From major spoilers hidden in unassuming plain sight, to huge lore drops in unassuming flavor text, to backups upon backups that most players were never supposed to see, the attention to detail in goes impossibly deep. And hidden within the game's code, one player has revealed something groundbreaking, if not unprecedented.
Having had a few days to sit with the news that Larian Studios, creators of 2023's breakout RPG, Baldur's Gate 3, has scrapped plans for DLC and will not be developing the inevitable next game in the series, we can't help but feel the move was a deeply-baller one. Going out on the highest possible note, outdoing even BioWare's iconic earlier entries, it's time to move on for Larian, and we'll gladly follow. Parent company Hasbro, however, wasted no time, threatening still-in-shock audiences that more D&D games are on the way: «Watch this space.»
A rare, original copy of the first game developed by the legendary husband and wife team of Ken and Roberta Williams has just hit eBay, and despite being little more than a floppy disk and a slip of paper inside a plastic bag, it's already set to fetch thousands of dollars after just one day on the auction site.
After dropping a new teaser yesterday announcing the release date, Asphalt Legends has just given us some more scoop on their upcoming game, Asphalt Legends Unite. The game drops on July 17th, 2024, making it the first-ever expansion in the Asphalt series.