Google to enforce August 31 Target API deadlines for Play Store apps

March 27, 2023 in Android by Brenton ‐ 1 min read

Google has announced that they’re simplifying the deadlines for Android developers to target the most recent version of Android when submitting apps to the Play Store.

In a post to the Play Console community forums, and an email sent to developers registered with a Play Store developer account, Google says apps will be required to target API level 33 by August 31, 2023. This applies to both new apps and also updates to existing apps on the Play Store.

For those unable to meet the deadline, Google will allow developers to apply for a one-time extension until November 1, 2023. No further extensions will be granted after this date. The extension application form will appear in the Play Console later this year, before the August deadline.

If an app in the Play Store targets Android 30 or lower after August 31, it will only be visible to customers running the same or older versions of Android that the app targets. For example, if the app targets Android 29 then the app would only be visible to those running Android 10 or lower.

wearOS developers also need to be aware that apps must target API 30 by the August deadline.

Google says this new streamlined approach will be in place for each year moving forward, so you can expect API 34 (the upcoming Android 14 release) to be a requirement come August 31, 2024.