Posted yesteryear Tom Greenaway, Senior Partner Developer Advocate
Last yr nosotros announced that starting from August 2018 Google Play volition require all new apps in addition to games to target a recent Android API score – laid to API score 26 (Android 8.0 Oreo), or higher. Additionally, this requirement volition extend to updates for existing apps in addition to games starting from Nov 2018.
Every novel Android version introduces changes that convey meaning safety in addition to functioning improvements – in addition to heighten the user sense of Android overall. Updating your games to target the latest API score ensures that your users tin create goodness from these improvements, land notwithstanding allowing your games to run on older Android versions.
Simple side yesteryear side steps:
- Install the Android 8.0 Oreo SDK (API score 26) via Android Studio yesteryear navigating to (Tools > Android > SDK Manager > Android SDK > SDK Platforms).
- Update your game to target API score 26 in addition to run into whether your game has whatever incompatibilities or issues as presently equally possible. Update whatever external dependencies equally necessary. Learn to a greater extent than close the incremental changes between versions of Android here.
- If you lot are using an advertising network, SDK or plugin which is incompatible amongst API score 26, accomplish out to your contacts in addition to discovery out their timeline for supporting target API score 26. The sooner they're aware of these changes the better.
- If you lot ready your game amongst Unity, back upwardly for target API 26 is built into Unity 5.6.6 in addition to beyond. Simply ensure the latest target API score is selected inward your Android ready settings for Unity (Build Settings > Android > Player Settings). For versions of Unity 5.6.5 in addition to prior, consult this documentation which includes a workaround for versions dating dorsum to 4.3.
- For games built amongst Unreal, depository fiscal establishment fit your Android platform settings has the "Target SDK Version" laid to 26.
- If you lot role Cocos2D-X, depository fiscal establishment fit the target API score inward the gradle.properties file that is generated.
Significant changes to travel aware of:
- Since API 23, nosotros accept required permissions travel requested at runtime which helps streamline the app install process.
- Since API 24, apps tin no longer dynamically link against non-NDK libraries. If your app (including third-party static libraries) contains native code, you lot should exclusively travel using public NDK APIs.
- If your game uses Android force notifications, the Google Play Services SDK inward your game volition postulate to travel updated to version 10.2.1 or above for your game to back upwardly API score 26.
- If your game uses opaque binary blobs (OBB), then your game must depository fiscal establishment fit if it tin access the directory earlier attempting to access the OBB files themselves. We recommend explicitly requesting permission for access using the Runtime Permissions API, in addition to gracefully treatment cases wherein the permission is non granted. Additionally, add together an entry inward the manifest for the external storage access:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
Moving ahead
Remember, updating the target API score is only the outset pace – brand certain your game is compatible amongst the deportment changes betwixt your electrical current target API score in addition to API score 26. Check out farther guidance on the changes inward yesteryear versions of Android to assistance inward your migration process. These policy changes are of import for moving the Android ecosystem frontwards in addition to keeping it well for you lot for our users – in addition to yours.
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