64-bit app compatibility for Google TV and Android TV
Article Summary
Fahad Durrani from Google drops a major requirement: TV apps need 64-bit support by August 2026. If your app has native code, you've got work to do.
Google is bringing 64-bit requirements to Android TV and Google TV, following the same path as phones and tablets. This shift enables better performance and prepares apps for upcoming 64-bit TV hardware. Apps with native code must provide both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and those targeting Android 15+ need 16 KB page size compatibility.
Key Takeaways
- All TV apps with native code must include 64-bit versions by August 1, 2026
- Android 15+ apps must support 16 KB memory page sizes
- 32-bit support continues, but 64-bit becomes mandatory alongside it
- Test on Google TV emulator, Nvidia Shield, or sideload to Pixel 7+ phones
TV developers have until August 2026 to add 64-bit support to apps with native code, with 16 KB page size compatibility required for Android 15+ targets.
About This Article
Google TV and Android TV developers need to check if their native code works across different architectures. This means manually looking through .so files in lib/armeabi-v7a and lib/arm64-v8a directories to figure out which apps need updating.
Google offers the APK Analyzer tool to automatically find native code in apps. For testing, there's the Google TV emulator for macOS with Apple Silicon set up for 64-bit, and you can also use physical Nvidia Shield devices like the P2571 or P2897 models.
Developers can test 64-bit TV apps on Pixel 7+ phones by sideloading them with adb commands like wm size 1080x1920 and wm density 231. This lets them verify compatibility before the August 1st, 2026 deadline without needing actual TV hardware.
