SL Mobile - No longer compatible for most devices?

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

I know there's a few threads floating around about this but thought I'd post this to see if it gets noticed by someone at the lab who might be able to explain why quite a few people can't download the app anymore from the google store. I'm on Android 12 and while sl mobile worked pretty well about 2 months ago on my tablet, I wasn't able to download it again after I removed it this weekend. I  got an error message saying this device isn't compatible with sl mobile. Now it just doesn't show up at all on google play when I try to download it for my phone or tablet. 

A few other people in the forum have mentioned the same thing. What is going on with this? Anyone know?

[Love Zhaoying]

I did a search on Canny, one link I found was similar about Android versions:

https://feedback.secondlife.com/mobile-alpha-bugs/p/not-compatible-with-my-phone-1

There is also a "Mobile Public Beta" category, so perhaps that would be the place to file a "Canny"?

https://feedback.secondlife.com/mobile-public-beta-bugs

 

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

Thanks, turns out someone made post about this. And a few others have the same problem so something is up for sure.

[Love Zhaoying]

1 minute ago, Ingrid Ingersoll said:

Thanks, turns out someone made post about this. And a few others have the same problem so something is up for sure.

In case I didn't find it with my bad searching, can you provide a link to any Canny you found directly related to your issue?  Thanks!

 

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

I used your links.

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

Well according to Bridie Linden, this is why:

[Arielle Popstar]

Sounds like Lumiya or Speedlight is still the goto for Mobile. May as well scrap SL's efforts, surprise, surprise. 🤨

[Qie Niangao]

This business with the TargetSdkVersion seems confused. As I understand it, if they don't set a high enough TargetSdkVersion in the manifest, users with later versions of Android won't be able to download it. A different specification, minSdkVersion, sets a level for which earlier versions should not be able to download the app. At least that's how I'd interpret this Android developer support page for Google Play but I've never actually listed an Android app on Google Play myself.

[Love Zhaoying]

1 hour ago, Ingrid Ingersoll said:

Well according to Bridie Linden, this is why:

So, it seems more a requirement of the Platform. (Google Play store, not LL!)

The way I read the above notice: If the Mobile app was "stable" and didn't need any "updates"..then LL could have left the Android app alone and it would keep working for and uploading for older versions of the Android OS.

Comparison with Apple Store:

1. Apple:  Can't go to Adult areas

2. Google:  Can't use anything older than Android 14

If my US$79 tablet didn't look like grainy crap in the Mobile Viewer, I'd choose #2.  (Assuming I had a table new enough to update to Android 14.)

 

[Love Zhaoying]

52 minutes ago, Qie Niangao said:

This business with the TargetSdkVersion seems confused. As I understand it, if they don't set a high enough TargetSdkVersion in the manifest, users with later versions of Android won't be able to download it. A different specification, minSdkVersion, sets a level for which earlier versions should not be able to download the app. At least that's how I'd interpret this Android developer support page for Google Play but I've never actually listed an Android app on Google Play myself.

So..maybe LL misinterpreted the requirement and is "over-enforcing it"?  But, the wording on the screen shot is indicative it was "written by Google" not by LL.

 

[Qie Niangao]

4 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

So..maybe LL misinterpreted the requirement and is "over-enforcing it"?  But, the wording on the screen shot is indicative it was "written by Google" not by LL.

Oh, yes, it absolutely was written by Google—it's the top part of the developer support page I linked. Here's a quote from another page in that system (not written by Google and from October 2023, so SDK level 33 was the target then):

Quote

Yes, you can keep your minSDK at level 31 while setting the targetSDK to 33 and still comply with Google Play's standards. Here's a brief explanation of the difference between minSDK and targetSDK:

• minSDK: The minimum API level that your app requires to run. This means that your app will only be available to users with devices that have this API level or higher.
• targetSDK: The API level that your app is designed to run on. This means that your app will use the features and APIs that are available in this API level.

By keeping your minSDK at level 31, you can ensure that your app will still be available to users with devices that are not compatible with API level 33. However, you will need to make sure that your app does not use any features or APIs that are not available in API level 31. Here are some tips for making sure that your app is compatible with both API level 31 and API level 33:

• Use the Android Support Library to provide compatibility for older versions of Android.
• Use the uses-sdk attribute in your manifest file to specify the minimum and target API levels for your app.
• Test your app on a variety of devices to make sure that it works properly on all versions of Android.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Love Zhaoying]

19 minutes ago, Qie Niangao said:

Oh, yes, it absolutely was written by Google—it's the top part of the developer support page I linked. Here's a quote from another page in that system (not written by Google and from October 2023, so SDK level 33 was the target then):

 

So maybe..just maybe..LL didn't interpret the requirement right.  Or was told "do it this way" by someone at Google.

Self-inflicted, is all I'm sayin'..

[Qie Niangao]

Yeah. I'd just like to see what Ingrid found, but I just can't find anything in Canny. When I try to follow the mobile-alpha-bugs link you supplied, it insists my account must have a lindenlabs.com email address, and searching the other boards yields nothing, but I think my brain is incompatible with Canny, so it all may be hiding in plain sight.

 

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

13 minutes ago, Qie Niangao said:

Yeah. I'd just like to see what Ingrid found

Samsung Galaxy S21 suddenly not compatable | Voters | Second Life

[Qie Niangao]

I'm getting a sense that this Mobile project might benefit from some fresh, outsider contribution.

[Freckles Fairelander]

Am I understanding correctly that if an app issues an update, such as a security update, the app will no longer be permitted to be backwards compatible with older OS versions, even if they are otherwise currently supported by Google? (I'm sorry, I need sleep.)

If that is the case, I'm suddenly feeling very sorry for the tech support team at the financial services institution where I used to work. Customers who didn't want to upgrade devices, even for the sake of their money's security, were common.

Edited September 5 by Freckles Fairelander
Spelling / grammar

[Qie Niangao]

Why apps support older Android versions:

Graphic used without permission from  https://composables.com/android-distribution-chart based on Google Data updated May 1, 2024.

(Such reports are typically from Play Store accesses, to exclude ancient embedded Android installs that will never download anybody's app.)

 

 

[Coffee Pancake]

So ... tell me again how Android is better than Apple devices.

[Gabriele Graves]

28 minutes ago, Freckles Fairelander said:

Am I understanding correctly that if an app issues an update, such as a security update, the app will no longer be permitted to be backwards compatible with older OS versions, even if they are otherwise currently supported by Google? (I'm sorry, I need sleep.)

If that is the case, I'm suddenly feeling very sorry for the tech support team at the financial services institution where I used to work. Customers who didn't want to upgrade devices, even for the sake of their money's security, we're common.

No, this cannot be true.  The company I work for produces an Android app that still supports Android 10 despite pushing an update last week.

[Qie Niangao]

2 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said:

So ... tell me again how Android is better than Apple devices.

[EDIT: I regret making an ungenerous comment here, now removed. I have no way of knowing the pressures facing these developers.]

Edited September 5 by Qie Niangao

[Freckles Fairelander]

3 minutes ago, Gabriele Graves said:

No, this cannot be true.  The company I work for produces an Android app that still supports Android 10 despite pushing an update last week.

Perhaps issued prior to the 31st or were able to get an extension?

I sense we're veering off topic.

[Gabriele Graves]

1 minute ago, Freckles Fairelander said:

Perhaps issued prior to the 31st or were able to get an extension?

I sense we're veering off topic.

I doubt very much this would be true unless Google are doing a major purge of the Play Store.

Topics always wander somewhat, at least this is still about device compatibility.

[Gabriele Graves]

I've just spoken with one of our mobile devs and they say that targeting Android 14 API level 34 is just making sure apps use the latest SDK.  It's the minimum SDK version that determines what devices it can run on.

Quote

Starting August 31, 2024, new apps and app update submissions must target Android 14 (API level 34), except for Wear and TV OS apps, which must target Android 13 (API level 33) 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. To save time and effort, you can use the new SDK Upgrade Assistant in Android Studio. You will also be able to request an extension until November 1, 2024 if you need more time to update your app.

Source: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14993590?sjid=112697506888988294-AP

This means that new apps and updates to existing apps must target Android 14's SDK and existing apps that are not being updated must have targetted at least Android 13's SDK to remain visible and downloadable to new users.

None of this addresses the minimum SDK version which determines on what devices the apps will actually run on.

Here is a pertinent discussion of the same thing: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/thread/237967422/clarification-on-sdk-requirements-for-app-updates?hl=en

Edited September 5 by Gabriele Graves

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

This is disappointing. How do I get android 14 on my devices? 

[Gabriele Graves]

5 minutes ago, Ingrid Ingersoll said:

This is disappointing. How do I get android 14 on my devices? 

There should be a "Software Update" somewhere in Settings.  That will check to see what operating system updates are available for your phone.  This is how you get security updates as well as upgrades.  If that says you are all up-to-date then you are out of luck.