INSTALL_FAILED_OLDER_SDK Android Origin: On your device Last updated 12 Oct 2026

INSTALL_FAILED_OLDER_SDK / INSTALL_FAILED_DEPRECATED_SDK_VERSION

The device’s Android version is lower than the app’s minSdk (OLDER_SDK), or the app’s targetSdk is too old for this Android version (DEPRECATED_SDK_VERSION).

Exact message you may see Requires newer sdk versionApp package must target at least SDK version
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Seen on: Android

Meaning

minSdk sets the lowest Android API the app runs on. Android 14+ also blocks installing apps that target very old APIs (below 23/24).

Common causes

  • Device API level below minSdk
  • Emulator image older than minSdk
  • targetSdk too low for Android 14+ (DEPRECATED_SDK_VERSION)

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Use a newer device/emulator image
  2. Lower minSdk if you really need older devices
  3. Raise targetSdk

Detailed fix by platform

Gradle

  1. kotlin
    android {
  defaultConfig {
    minSdk = 24
    targetSdk = 35
  }
}

How to diagnose

  1. Device — adb shell getprop ro.build.version.sdk
  2. App — minSdk/targetSdk in build.gradle

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: On your device. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

Dependency requires compileSdk — Dependency 'androidx.x:1.y' requires libraries and applications that depend on it to compile against version 34 or later of the Android APIs (Android)Dependency requires c…INSTALL_FAILED_INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE — INSTALL_FAILED_INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE: Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE] (Android)INSTALL_FAILED_INSUFF…INSTALL_FAILED_NO_MATCHING_ABIS — INSTALL_FAILED_NO_MATCHING_ABIS: Failed to extract native libraries (Android)INSTALL_FAILED_NO_MAT…INSTALL_FAILED_TEST_ONLY — INSTALL_FAILED_TEST_ONLY: installPackageLI (Android)INSTALL_FAILED_TEST_O…INSTALL_FAILED_USER_RESTRICTED — INSTALL_FAILED_USER_RESTRICTED: Install canceled by user (Xiaomi/MIUI, Oppo, Vivo) (Android)INSTALL_FAILED_USER_R…INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_NO_CERTIFICATES — INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_NO_CERTIFICATES / App not installed as package appears to be invalid (Android)INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_…must target at least API level — Play Console: Your app currently targets API level 33 and must target at least API level 34 (Android)must target at least …INSTALL_F…

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