API Version's
Android API levels are integer values that uniquely identify the version of the Android framework API. Each new version of the Android operating system is associated with a new API level, reflecting changes and additions to the platform's functionality. This system ensures compatibility and allows developers to specify which Android versions their applications are designed to run on.
Developers utilize API levels in their application's manifest file through attributes such as minSdkVersion, targetSdkVersion, and compileSdkVersion to manage compatibility and target specific Android versions.
| Version | API Level | Code Name |
|---|---|---|
| Android 16 | (API level 36) | Baklava |
| Android 15 | (API level 35) | Vanilla Ice Cream |
| Android 14 | (API level 34) | Upside Down Cake |
| Android 13 | (API level 33) | Tiramisu |
| Android 12 | (API level 32) | Snow Cone (S_V2) |
| Android 12 | (API level 31) | Snow Cone (S) |
| Android 11 | (API level 30) | Red Velvet Cake |
| Android 10 | (API level 29) | Quince Tart |
| Android 9 | (API level 28) | Pie |
| Android 8.1 | (API level 27) | Oreo (O_MR1) |
| Android 8.0 | (API level 26) | Oreo (O) |
| Android 7.1 | (API level 25) | Nougat (N_MR1) |
| Android 7.0 | (API level 24) | Nougat (N) |
| Android 6.0 | (API level 23) | Marchmallow |
| Android 5.1 | (API level 22) | Lollipop (L_MR1) |
| Android 5.0 | (API level 21) | Lollipop (L) |
| Android 4.4W | (API level 20) | KitKat |
| Android 4.4 | (API level 19) | KitKat |
| Android 4.3 | (API level 18) | Jelly Bean (MR2) |
| Android 4.2 | (API level 17) | Jelly Bean (MR1) |
| Android 4.1 | (API level 16) | Jelly Bean |
| Android 4.0.3 | (API level 15) | Ice Cream Sandwich (MR1) |
| Android 4.0 | (API level 14) | Ice Cream Sandwich |
| Android 3.2 | (API level 13) | Honeycomb (MR2) |
| Android 3.1 | (API level 12) | Honeycomb (MR1) |
| Android 3.0 | (API level 11) | Honeycomb |
| Android 2.3.3 | (API level 10) | Gingerbread (MR1) |
| Android 2.3 | (API level 9) | Gingerbread |
APK signing schemes
Android supports three application signing schemes:
- v1 scheme: based on JAR signing
- v2 scheme: APK Signature Scheme v2, which was introduced in Android 7.0 (API level 24).
- v3 scheme: APK Signature Scheme v3, which was introduced in Android 9 (API level 28).
Developer's choose the minSdkVersion when they create a new project in Android Studio, which includes a nice estimate of the percentage of devices the app will run on. Below we can see that using the latest version only works on an estimated 4.5% of devices, whereas using version 5 (API 21) will target 99.9%.
