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Play Billing APIs Deprecated

Google Play Billing APIs, deprecated since May 19, 2026, will be shut down by August 31, 2028. Additionally, older subscription APIs and `SubscriptionPurchaseV2` fields, deprecated May 21, 2025, will be shut down by August 31, 2027.

Why it matters — Developers must migrate from deprecated Play Billing APIs by August 31, 2028, and older subscription APIs by August 31, 2027, to maintain billing functionality.

developer.android.com · 21 August 2026 · Read the original →

Android & Kotlin

Android Deprecates RenderScript, Display APIs

Android Developers updated documentation on August 14, 2026, confirming RenderScript APIs are deprecated since Android 12, with hardware acceleration expected to cease over time. Display APIs like `getSize()` and `getMetrics()` are also deprecated in favor of `WindowMetrics`.

Why it matters — Developers should migrate from RenderScript to leverage GPU acceleration and update display-size queries to `WindowMetrics` to ensure future compatibility and performance.

developer.android.com · 21 August 2026 · Read the original →

iOS & Swift

Apple Opens Submissions for iOS 27, Deprecates Intel Macs

Apple has opened App Store submissions for apps built with Xcode 27 Release Candidate for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. macOS 27 will exclusively support Apple silicon, ending support for Intel Macs and Rosetta. Starting April 2027, new apps and updates must be built with the iOS 27 & iPadOS 27 SDK or later, and new age rating questions for social media capabilities are now mandatory for submissions.

Why it matters — Developers must update to Xcode 27, target arm64 only for macOS 27, and prepare for mandatory iOS 27 SDK adoption by April 2027; apps with social media features require new age rating answers this month.

developer.apple.com · 11 September 2026 · Read the original →

Tooling

Android Bench 2.0: Pushing the frontier with challenging long-horizon tasks

Android Bench 2.0 has been released, updating the benchmark for evaluating how large language models (LLMs) assist developers with real-world Android tasks. The methodology has been aligned with the Harbor framework to adapt to the rapid evolution of AI models and agents.

Why it matters — This updated benchmark provides a rigorous foundation for assessing the effectiveness of AI tools in assisting Android development, guiding developers in leveraging LLMs.

Android Developers · 18 September 2026 · Read the original →

Android & Kotlin

Inside Android Skills - Built for deprecation

Discusses the philosophy and methodology behind the official Android Skills project. It addresses developer feedback and explains the design decisions involved in building tools with deprecation in mind.

Why it matters — Designing developer tools with a 'built for deprecation' philosophy ensures they remain maintainable and can be cleanly retired or replaced as the platform evolves.

Android Developers · 08 August 2026 · Read the original →

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