Android Minimum API Level Change

Target Platforms Mobile
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1

Unity has supported a minimum API level for Android of 19, corresponding to version 4.4 (“KitKat”) for quite some time. We study, and are mindful of, the diversity of the Android ecosystem and so are slow to make changes in this area, however we now believe it is time for us to move on. With that in mind, Unity 2021.2 will support a minimum API level 22 (Android 5.1, aka “Lollipop”).

If you have any questions about this, then please don’t hesitate to ask.

2

Hi Fodges,
According to the manual, 2021.1 already requires API level 22 -
https://docs.unity3d.com/2021.1/Documentation/Manual/system-requirements.html
Is the manual wrong? (we have about 3% of our userbase using 4.4/5.0 so we didn’t upgrade to 2021.1)

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The documentation seems to be wrong. I will have a look.

However if you are planning to support Android 4.4 for a longer it may still make sense for your project to stay on 2020.4 because as a LTS version it will be supported longer than 2021.1.

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Thanks!

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As per my thread here the latest 2020 version I could get to work with API 19 is 2020.3.3f1

6

Thanks, I have a question.
Which is the minimun level supported by Unity with ArFoundation ?

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what was the problem with 4.4? just because is slow? guys you’re trying to use html for ui now!
in my exprience 4.4 was the best version for testing app/game performance…
please reverse it…

8

I’ve just bought a second hand tablet running 4.4.2, so this is a bit of a downer. I am now pondering whether I should downgrade Unity to 2020.3.3f1 or 2020.4. I just need the tablet for an art installation.

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Latest news - I downgraded to 2020.3.37f LTS. A few tiny niggles with the projects, but it’s working fine.

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Hello! I have a question about maintaining our game for our old-device players. As we switched to Unity 2021 and know we have significant players with android 4.4 devices, is there any way to support them? Or we should have a specific build with an older version of Unity for these players?

11

I am wondering the same thing. But it does not seems wise to switch Unity versions between builds since lots of unity’s packages have minimum version such as URP. (Unles you are planning on maintaining 2 different project all together).

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wish one is the mínimum level of API for Unity 2022 that you suggest for android?

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Min SDK Version for Unity 2022.3 is 22.