Upcoming Changes for Android Developers: 16 KB Page Sizes Required from November 2025
Starting November 1, 2025, Google will mandate that all new and updated applications targeting Android 15 and above support a memory page size of 16 KB on 64-bit devices before they can be submitted to Google Play. This strategic shift from the traditional 4 KB page size aims to enhance performance metrics, particularly for devices equipped with larger RAM capacities.
Performance Improvements and Benefits
Adopting the 16 KB page size is anticipated to yield several advantages, including reduced application launch times—showing an average improvement of 3.16%, with some applications experiencing enhancements of up to 30%.Furthermore, power consumption is expected to decrease by an average of 4.56%.A prime example highlighting these benefits is the Android camera application, which reports a 4.48% increase in hot start efficiency and a 6.60% improvement in cold start times.
Good News for. NET Developers
Developers utilizing. NET frameworks can look forward to seamless integration with these new requirements. The latest version, .NET MAUI 9, along with. NET for Android, offers built-in support for the 16 KB page size. To leverage this functionality, developers must upgrade to. NET 9, especially given that. NET MAUI 8 has been deprecated as of May 14, 2025.
Dependency Management and Compliance
Microsoft has highlighted that all dependencies within a. NET MAUI project must also conform to the 16 KB page size requirement. Developers might encounter warnings when using incompatible libraries, such as:
Android 16 will require 16 KB page sizes, shared library '{library_name}' does not have a 16 KB page size. Please inform the authors of the NuGet package '{package_name}' version '{version}' which contains '{file_path}'.See https://developer.android.com/guide/practices/page-sizes for more details.
Action Steps for Developers
If faced with these warnings, developers should take the following three critical steps:
- Update the dependency to a compliant version.
- Contact the package author to request an update.
- If the package is no longer maintained, seek a suitable alternative.
Getting Started with the Transition
For developers who have not yet adapted their applications for Google Play’s new requirements, there is still ample time for necessary updates. Attention should be directed toward upgrading to. NET 9, verifying the compatibility of project dependencies with 16 KB page sizes, addressing non-compliant dependencies, and conducting tests in a 16 KB environment using either an emulator or actual hardware with developer options enabled. For comprehensive guidance, refer to Microsoft’s announcement.
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