As of October 3, 2026, Google Play’s August 31 deadline has passed: most new apps and app updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher. Google says developers who need more time will be able to request an extension through November 1, 2026, but its documentation does not confirm that the form is available now or explain eligibility. Check your Play Console and Google’s current policy before relying on an extension.
What the Google Play API 36 deadline requires
Google’s target API requirements, updated September 16, 2026, set different thresholds for submission and continued availability. API 36 is the general requirement, not a universal threshold for every app category.
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| App category | New app or update submission, from August 31, 2026 | Existing app availability to new users on newer Android devices | Developer action |
|---|---|---|---|
| General apps | API 36 or higher | Generally API 35 or higher to remain available to new users on devices running Android newer than the app’s target API | Target API 36 for a new submission or update; check the separate availability rule for an existing app. |
| Wear OS | API 35 or higher | Google specifies a lower, category-specific threshold; see its requirements page for the applicable level. | Use the Wear OS threshold, not the general API 36 submission threshold. |
| Android Automotive OS | API 35 or higher | Google specifies a lower, category-specific threshold; see its requirements page for the applicable level. | Use the Automotive OS threshold, not the general API 36 submission threshold. |
| Android TV | API 34 or higher | Google specifies a lower, category-specific threshold; see its requirements page for the applicable level. | Use the Android TV threshold, not the general API 36 submission threshold. |
| Android XR | API 34 or higher | Google specifies a lower, category-specific threshold; see its requirements page for the applicable level. | Use the Android XR threshold, not the general API 36 submission threshold. |
The existing-app rule is about availability to new users on devices running Android newer than the app’s target API. An app below the applicable threshold is limited to devices running Android at or below its target API; that does not mean it is removed for every person who already has it installed. Google also lists permanently private apps restricted to users in a specific organization and intended only for internal distribution as an exception.
What the API 36 extension changes—and what it does not
Google’s requirements page says: “If you need more time to update your app, you’ll be able to request an extension to November 1, 2026.” The extension is additional time to update, not a permanent exemption from the target API requirements.
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The same page says app-specific extension forms will be available in Play Console “later this year.” As of October 3, 2026, that wording does not establish whether the form is accessible now, who qualifies, or how a request is submitted. Open your app’s Play Console listing and check Google’s current policy for the live request path and any app-specific details; do not assume eligibility or that an extension has been granted.
What happens if my app still targets API 35?
For a general app, API 35 is below the API 36 threshold for a new app submission or update after August 31, 2026. Google’s separate existing-app rule generally uses API 35 as the threshold for availability to new users on devices running a newer Android version. That distinction matters: an app already targeting API 35 may meet the stated general existing-app threshold, but that does not make it compliant for a new submission or update under the API 36 rule.
Category-specific thresholds differ, so a Wear OS, Automotive OS, TV, or XR app should be checked against the relevant row above and Google’s current requirements. If you need to submit an update but cannot finish the migration by the applicable deadline, check Play Console for the announced extension request rather than assuming it applies automatically.
Android 16 upgrade checklist
Changing the target API can change how an app behaves at runtime. Use this checklist to scope the work to your app’s actual code, libraries, permissions, and supported device categories. Google’s Android 16 behavior changes and migration guidance describe the platform changes and setup.
- Confirm the applicable target and your current setting. Check the app category and its Play requirement first. Inspect
targetSdkVersionin your Gradle configuration; Google also identifiesandroid:targetSdkVersionin the manifest as a place to confirm or set the value. - Prepare an Android 16 build and test environment. Obtain the Android 16 SDK, update
targetSdkVersionand related build configuration, and run the app on an Android 16 device or emulator. - Review both sets of behavior changes. Check changes triggered by targeting API 36 as well as changes that apply to apps running on Android 16 regardless of target. Identify which listed changes intersect with features your app actually uses.
- Fix edge-to-edge and inset assumptions. Apps targeting API 36 cannot opt out of edge-to-edge on Android 16. Remove reliance on the disabled opt-out and test content around system bars, display cutouts, and window insets.
- Migrate back navigation. For API 36-targeting apps running on Android 16 or higher, predictive back animations are enabled by default. As described in Google’s guidance,
onBackPressedis not called andKeyEvent.KEYCODE_BACKis no longer dispatched. Use supported back-navigation APIs. A documented manifest opt-out is a temporary transition path, not a substitute for migration. - Check text rendering in affected scripts. For apps targeting API 36, Android 16 ignores the deprecated
elegantTextHeightattribute. Review layouts using Arabic, Lao, Myanmar, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Telugu, or Thai text. - Test large screens and resizable windows. For API 36 apps on displays with a smallest width of at least 600 dp, orientation, resizability, and aspect-ratio restrictions are ignored by default, with documented exceptions such as games. Test rotation, folding and unfolding, multi-window, and desktop resizing; preserve state across configuration changes. Google describes the compatibility opt-out as temporary.
- Exercise background work. Android 16 changes job execution quotas and fixed-rate scheduling behavior for API 36 targets. If the app uses
JobSchedulerorscheduleAtFixedRate, check stop reasons and verify assumptions about missed work against the Android 16 documentation. - Run the app’s core flows and check dependencies. Test the sign-in, permissions, notifications, navigation, media, background work, and form factors that apply to your app. Review third-party SDKs and libraries for Android 16 support; update them or contact their providers if needed. Google’s migration guide recommends compatibility toggles to focus testing on selected behavior changes.
This is a focused checklist, not a claim that every API 36 change affects every app. Build the test matrix around the features and device types your app actually supports.
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