Preparing Apps for 16KB Page Size Devices
Article Summary
Dan Brown from Google Play just dropped a requirement that'll affect every Android app targeting Android 15+. Starting November 1st, 2025, your app must support 16 KB page sizes or risk breaking on next-gen devices.
Google is mandating 16 KB page size support for all apps targeting Android 15+ submitted to Play Store after November 2025. This shift from the historical 4 KB standard prepares apps for newer devices with more RAM and unlocks significant performance gains across the board.
Key Takeaways
- App launches improve 3% to 30% with 16 KB page support
- Battery life gains average 4.5%, system boots 8% faster
- Apps without native code need zero changes for compliance
- Play Console's app bundle explorer shows your compatibility status instantly
- React Native, Flutter, and Unity already support 16 KB pages
Most apps will need minimal changes to meet the November 2025 deadline, with pure Java/Kotlin apps already compliant and native code apps requiring toolchain updates.
About This Article
Android device manufacturers are switching to 16 KB page sizes instead of the traditional 4 KB standard to improve performance on devices with more RAM. This means apps need to be recompiled and tested to work properly.
Developers can use Google Play's app bundle explorer tool in Play Console to quickly check if their builds meet the requirements and see what needs updating. The December blog post also has detailed technical guidance on recompilation and memory management checks.
When apps support 16 KB page sizes, camera launch speeds improve by 4.5% to 6.6%, and Android devices boot about 8% faster. These performance gains add up across the entire device ecosystem.