Announcing a new minimum Android version requirement for the Zendesk messaging SDK

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<td style="height: 22px; width: 33.3333%;"><strong>Announced on</strong></td>
<td><strong>Rollout on</strong></td>
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<td style="height: 22px; width: 33.3333%;">June 29, 2026</td>
<td>August 18, 2026</td>
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</table></figure><p>We’re updating the minimum Android version requirement for the Zendesk messaging SDK for Android from <strong>API 21 (Android 5.0, Lollipop)</strong> to <strong>API 24 (Android 7.0, Nougat)</strong>. This change allows us to deliver a more stable, performant, and feature-rich SDK experience by taking full advantage of modern Android platform capabilities. This update is taking place on August 18, 2026.</p><p>This article includes the following sections:</p><ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e0c73da76e05d99472eecb579c75c5d60"><a href="#h_01K39FKN2ZKQS92V5424YQV505">What is changing?</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="ec8fe8e1411d53ba93a70e90d27a43589"><a href="#h_01K3A7DY1MGYWC5Z9FE5WEZMD9">Why is Zendesk making this change?</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="e1c6b206e0f488bab809a10856443ed8d"><a href="#h_01K3A7FEPQBH8P3JPGKNBZRT8C">What do I need to do?</a></li>
</ul><h2 id="h_01K39FKN2ZKQS92V5424YQV505">What is changing?</h2><p>Starting with the next major release of the Zendesk messaging SDK for Android, <strong>API 24 (Android 7.0, Nougat) will be the minimum supported version</strong>. Devices running Android versions below API 24 will no longer be supported.</p><p>If your app currently sets a <code class="ph codeph">minSdkVersion</code> below 24, you will need to raise it to continue receiving SDK updates.</p><h2 id="h_01K3A7DY1MGYWC5Z9FE5WEZMD9">Why is Zendesk making this change?</h2><p>The vast majority of end users on the Zendesk messaging SDK are already running Android 7.0 or later. Raising the minimum version allows us to:</p><ul>
<li data-list-item-id="eb27cf554742f2dbd353ad1d20c401931">
<strong>Stay current with Jetpack Compose</strong> — Starting with Compose BOM 2025.12.00, the minimum required API level is 23. Remaining on API 21 creates a risk of runtime crashes when customers update their own Compose BOM version, as incompatibilities between Compose versions are not always caught at compile time. Raising to API 24 keeps us current and removes this fragility.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e2a89a4daf39e1842dcc50fd11bf85af3">
<strong>Align with AndroidX and modern Jetpack libraries</strong> — AndroidX’s default minimum SDK is reviewed annually and is currently API 23. Future library updates are likely to require higher API levels, creating the same risks we currently face with Compose. Raising our minimum to API 24 provides a buffer above the current AndroidX default and positions us ahead of the next review cycle.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8af4605e9c78419e012c5ff7bafca03b">
<strong>Improve security and compliance</strong> — API 24 introduces the Network Security Config, hardware-backed key attestation, and a stricter certificate trust model that no longer trusts user-added CAs by default. It also removes the need for the <code class="ph codeph">WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE</code> dangerous permission on lower API levels, reducing exposure to Google Play policy warnings for integrators.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea8945426a57abfa54b282df03dedba65">
<strong>Simplify the SDK codebase</strong> — Supporting older API levels requires conditional code paths and legacy compatibility shims that increase maintenance complexity and regression risk. Raising the minimum to API 24 allows us to remove this legacy code, resulting in a cleaner and more maintainable SDK.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8b9de5f00c31642a7ced41a3f0cfa64b">
<strong>Align with industry trends and usage data</strong> — Only 0.008% of over 620 million SDK hits analyzed come from devices below API 24. The vast majority of top customers’ apps already target API 26 or higher. Competitors including Intercom and Airship have already adopted API 23 as their minimum, with Intercom announcing a move to API 23 in their next release.</li>
</ul><h2 id="h_01K3A7FEPQBH8P3JPGKNBZRT8C">What do I need to do?</h2><p><strong>If your app already targets API 24 (Android 7.0) or later</strong>, no action is required. You will continue to receive SDK updates as normal.</p><p><strong>If your app currently targets below API 24</strong>, you will need to raise your app’s <code class="ph codeph">minSdkVersion</code> to 24 before upgrading to the new SDK version. Apps that do not update their <code class="ph codeph">minSdkVersion</code> will continue to work on the last SDK version that supported API 21, but will not receive new features or fixes.</p><p>To update your minimum SDK version in Android Studio:</p><ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e531d9ec67739ef5d278ca956fae3e681">Open your app-level <code class="ph codeph">build.gradle</code> file in Android Studio.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ef0b74e14baa18faef5da126e4713b65b">Locate the <code class="ph codeph">defaultConfig</code> block.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e710e3c93f03c4d4620cc7a4d8f0ca963">
<p>Set </p>&lt;&gt;<code class="ph codeph">minSdkVersion</code><span> to </span><span style="color: #188038;">24</span><span>.</span>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e5dd052a6abfdb4b68071ae3fb71f4d46">Sync your project with Gradle files.</li>
</ol><p>For more information about integrating and configuring the Zendesk messaging SDK for Android, see<a href="https://developer.zendesk.com/documentation/zendesk-web-widget-sdks/sdks/android/getting_started/"> <span class="wysiwyg-underline">Zendesk messaging SDK for Android</span></a>.</p><p>If you have feedback or questions related to this announcement, visit our <a href="https://community.zendesk.com/ideas" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span class="wysiwyg-underline">community forum</span></a> where we collect and manage customer product feedback. For general assistance with your Zendesk products, contact <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408843597850"><span class="wysiwyg-underline">Zendesk Customer Support</span></a>.<br><br> </p>