Free HTML to You upload a new version of your app, and Play Console stops you with an error like this: Your app currently targets API level 34 and must target at least API level 36. Or you get an email saying your app will stop being visible to new users. Both come from the same yearly rule. Here is what it means and how to fix it.
The rule in 2026
Every year Google raises the minimum "target API level". The target is the Android version your app says it was built and tested for. According to Google's help page, since 31 August 2026:
- New apps and every app update must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher to be accepted on Google Play. Wear OS and Android Automotive OS apps need Android 15 (API level 35).
- Existing apps that you do not update must target at least Android 15 (API level 35) to stay available to new users on newer Android versions. People who already installed the app can keep using it.
Google sometimes offers more time to apps that need it. If you are affected, look for an extension request in your Play Console notifications.
Target API is not the same as minimum Android version
This is the part that confuses most people. There are two numbers:
- Minimum version (minSdk): the oldest Android your app installs on. Raising the target does not change this, so you do not lose users on older phones.
- Target version (targetSdk): the Android version whose rules your app follows. Google cares about this one, because newer targets switch on newer privacy and security behavior.
So an app can target Android 16 and still install on Android 7. Apps made with Free HTML to APK do exactly that.
Why it happens with HTML and website apps
An HTML app is a small Android app with a browser view inside. The target API level is baked into that Android part when the app is built, not into your HTML. So even if your website is brand new, an APK or AAB built a year or two ago by an older tool still carries the old target. Changing your web pages does not fix it; you need a new build.
How to fix it
- Rebuild with a current builder. The online converter and the Android app build for Android 16 (API level 36). Open your saved project, or create it again with the same settings.
- Keep the same package name. It must match the app on Google Play exactly, for example
com.yourbrand.app, or Play treats it as a different app. - Raise the version code. Every upload needs a higher version code than the last one. If the live app is version code 4, use 5 or higher.
- Sign with the same upload key. Use the key file you used for the last upload. If you lost it, Play Console lets you request an upload key reset when Play App Signing is on.
- Upload the AAB. Google Play wants the AAB, not the APK. Not sure of the difference? See APK vs AAB.
After the upload, Play Console shows the new target in the bundle details. The warning on the dashboard can take a little while to disappear.
Test before you roll out
Newer targets change some behavior, so give the new build a quick check on a real phone:
- Edge to edge: on Android 15 and 16, apps draw behind the status and navigation bars. Check that your top menu and bottom buttons are not hidden under them.
- Notifications: the app must ask for permission before showing notifications, so test that the prompt appears when you expect it.
- Back button: press back on a few pages and confirm it goes back a page, not out of the app.
- Files and camera: if your site uploads photos or files, try it once.
A quick way to test is the closed or internal testing track: upload there first, install from the Play link on your phone, then promote the same release to production.
FAQ
Do I lose my reviews or downloads?
No. A new version of the same app keeps everything, as long as the package name and the signing key are the same.
My app is not updated often. Do I still have to do this?
Only when you want to ship an update, or if your target is below API level 35 and you want new users on newer phones to keep finding it. Doing it once a year keeps you clear of both.
Will raising the target break my website inside the app?
Rarely. Websites run in the same browser engine either way. The changes are in the Android shell around them, which is why the checks above focus on bars, notifications and the back button.
The official wording is on Google's target API level requirements page. For other things Play checks on an update, see the Google Play guide.