Android Min SDK Version vs. Target SDK Version

Question

When it comes to developing applications for Android, what is the difference between Min and Target SDK version? Eclipse won\'t let me create a new project unless Min and Ta

Answer 1

For those who want a summary,

android:minSdkVersion

is minimum version till your application supports. If your device has lower version of android , app will not install.

while,

android:targetSdkVersion

is the API level till which your app is designed to run. Means, your phone's system don't need to use any compatibility behaviours to maintain forward compatibility because you have tested against till this API.

Your app will still run on Android versions higher than given targetSdkVersion but android compatibility behaviour will kick in.

Freebie -

android:maxSdkVersion

if your device's API version is higher, app will not install. Ie. this is the max API till which you allow your app to install.

ie. for MinSDK -4, maxSDK - 8, targetSDK - 8 My app will work on minimum 1.6 but I also have used features that are supported only in 2.2 which will be visible if it is installed on a 2.2 device. Also, for maxSDK - 8, this app will not install on phones using API > 8.

At the time of writing this answer, Android documentation was not doing a great job at explaining it. Now it is very well explained. Check it here