Google tightening app security, enhancing performance of smartphones
21 Dec 2017
Google is tightening app security and boosting performance for smartphones. App developers for Google Play would need to adhere to a number of changes including compulsory 64-bit versions by 2019 and new apps and updates to target the most recent Android API level.
They would also need to add security metadata to each app APK file.
The changes were announced by Google on the Android Developers Blog. Android 5.0 was the first to feature 64-bit support but Google has now made it mandatory. Developers would be required to submit a compulsory 64-bit library in their APKs by August 2019, but apps that do not have native code will not be affected. Over 40 per cent devices that come online have 64-bit support, along with maintaining 32-bit compatibility, according to Google. Similar conditions were laid down by Apple on iOS 11 by ending support for 32-bit libraries in June this year.
Further, developers making new apps or updating existing apps would need to target API level 26 (for Android 8.0 Oreo) or higher. The requirement would be enforced by Google from August 2018 for new apps and November 2018 for existing apps. Henceforth, apps and app updates have to target the latest API level which will advance with each Android version upgrade.
Edward Cunningham, a product manager for Android outlined the changes in a blog post on Android Developers Blog. All apps would be built using the latest APIs, to ensure security and performance. The requirement does not specify the minimum API level ensuring that developers can still develop apps for hundreds of thousands of people who are running older Android versions.
The second major change would require developers to bundle native 64-bit libraries for new apps as also updated apps, starting from August 2019.
This is being done to ensure that all the apps are capable of running on 64-bit processors in addition to the existing 32-bit processors so that there are no problems as and when Google drops support for 32-bit apps.