New Terms For Google Play Could Complicate Development of SL Mobile Viewer

 

On August 31, Google announced new requirements for it's Google Play store. Specifically, these are API requirements (Application Programing Interface, programing that allows a piece of software to interact with other software). 

 

New apps and app updates must target Android 14 (API level 34) to be submitted to Google Play (except for Wear OS and Android TV apps, which must target Android 13 or higher).

 

Existing apps must target Android 13 (API level 33) 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 12 (API level 31) or lower ( Android 10 or lower for Wear OS and Android 11 or lower for TV OS), will only be available on devices running Android OS that are the same or lower than your apps’ target API level.

So what does this mean? Daniel Voyager felt it meant trouble for Linden Lab's Second Life mobile viewer, at least for the short term, "The lab will now need target new Second Life mobile app updates towards Android 14 (API level 34) to be submitted to Google Play for review etc. The lab will need to keep adjusting to upcoming new Android versions like Android 15 (late 2024) and Android 16 due to launch sometime in 2025. For older Android versions the lab have now officially confirmed they are looking into distributing APKs that will target older Android versions from the download page. There is always risk downloading APKs for any app and it might not feel safe doing this for a lot of mobile users.

 

Daniel would go on to say that when the Lab releases the mobile viewer to the general public, "it will be interesting to see how these new API changes impact those using older Android versions," and added it would soon give out updates, and instructions, to explain the changes.

Source: Daniel Voyager