Minimum version listings now on mobile
Here’s a nice update if only a subtle one from the Play Store if you care about minimum OS requirements on apps.
9to5Google notes with Play Store version 29.2.13 and some server-side business that the “About this app/game” page includes a new line called “Android OS” which lists the minimum supported version. We were able to test a device on v28 and didn’t find this new line.
The web version of the Play Store has long committed to listing the minimum OS requirement in the “Additional Information” section of an app’s page, though it isn’t helpful on many apps that branch their distribution based on OS versions — their requirement “Varies with device” in Google’s terms.
Of course, displaying the minimum OS requirement is posturing on Google’s part anyways: the Play Store automatically filters which apps you can see based on a variety of factors including your current version of Android. In curious cases where an app branches based on OS, one device could show a minimum version of 6 Marshmallow while another device on the very same app (screenshot from 9to5Google) could show a minimum of 10.
Nonetheless, it’s something worth a gander, especially for developers who now have another little detail to stress about.
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