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Google Play · Hidden from some users

Existing Wear OS apps must target Android 14, API level 34, to stay discoverable

If your published Wear OS app targets Android 13 or older, Google Play stops showing it to users whose watches run a newer Android version than your app targets. People who already installed it are unaffected.

33 days left

until the extension ends on 1 Nov 2026

In force since 31 Aug 2026 for apps without an extension. Apps with one have until 1 Nov 2026.

If you miss it
Hidden from some users
Platforms
Android
Devices
Watches
Built with
Any framework

How to fix it

An outline for each way of building the app. Stayshipped writes the full fix task for your code, ready for your AI coding tool.

Kotlin / native Android
  1. Set targetSdk (and compileSdk) to 34 in the app module's build file, or in the version catalog if the project uses one.
  2. Update the Android Gradle Plugin and Kotlin to versions that support API 34, then sync.
  3. Read the behaviour changes for API 34 and fix anything that affects the app: permissions, foreground services, intents, edge-to-edge.
  4. Update AndroidX and third-party libraries that fail to build or warn against the new SDK.

Check that

  • ./gradlew assembleRelease succeeds
  • The merged manifest shows targetSdkVersion 34
  • The app runs on an API 34 emulator without crashes on the main flows
Flutter
  1. Check android/app/build.gradle. If it uses flutter.targetSdkVersion, upgrade Flutter to a release whose default is 34 or set targetSdk = 34 explicitly.
  2. Run flutter upgrade if needed, then flutter pub upgrade --major-versions for plugins that don't support API 34.
  3. Update the Android Gradle Plugin in android/settings.gradle to a version that supports API 34.

Check that

  • flutter build appbundle succeeds
  • targetSdkVersion in the built bundle is 34
  • The app runs on an API 34 emulator
Expo
  1. Upgrade to an Expo SDK whose default Android target is 34, with npx expo install expo@latest --fix, or set android.targetSdkVersion with the expo-build-properties plugin.
  2. Run npx expo install --check to align native modules.
  3. Rebuild with EAS: eas build -p android.

Check that

  • The EAS build succeeds
  • The built app's targetSdkVersion is 34
React Native
  1. Set targetSdkVersion = 34 and compileSdkVersion = 34 in android/build.gradle ext block.
  2. Upgrade React Native if the current version doesn't support API 34; use the React Native Upgrade Helper for the diff.
  3. Update native libraries that fail to build.

Check that

  • cd android && ./gradlew assembleRelease succeeds
  • The app runs on an API 34 emulator

Official sources

We last checked this rule against its sources on 28 Sept 2026.

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