Google drops Play Services support for Android KitKat 4.4

25 July 2023
API levels 19 and 20 will not receive APK versions beyond 23.30.99.

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It'll still work tho. Jellybean ended support for Play Services long ago and it still works.

    • s
    • sirol
    • pdd
    • 26 Jul 2023

    zaryan, 26 Jul 2023Who are those people who still use android 4.4 ? The olde... moreI use. I use samsung galaxy s4 mini, because all (except cubot) phones after it are large phones, but i want to use medium size phone. It is impossible to buy medium size phone after year 2013.

      Oh no! Anyway.

      Nobody is still using Android KitKat.

        Who are those people who still use android 4.4 ?
        The oldest android version i could find in my family and friends is android 9

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 3SL
          • 26 Jul 2023

          KitKat survived Queen Elizabeth

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • PFW
            • 26 Jul 2023

            Anonymous, 26 Jul 2023I was using a Note 4 with Android 6 until last year. Except... moreActually there are still plenty of app support on Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its age. Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Telegram, are still getting updates on that version of Android, as well as some Google Apps, such as Drive, Maps, Gmail, Photos, Games, Movies & TV, Books, Classroom, etc.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • vaS
              • 26 Jul 2023

              Anonymous, 26 Jul 2023A lot of people that make comments like that are usually fr... moreI am the guy with the Note 3 running Lineage 18.1 (Android 11) as secondary phone and I also have an RTX laptop as well as a farm. What does that make of me? Do I need to point out iPhone 14 Pro Max users who bought theirs off credit while having more debts than me to even things out?

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • vaS
                • 26 Jul 2023

                Anonymous, 26 Jul 2023I was using a Note 4 with Android 6 until last year. Except... moreYes. (your note 4 is bad bec it never got as popular as Note 3 so you had to really on unofficial CFWs unlike the Note 3 which had official support from Lineage)
                Because it was also a flagship of 2013 and without the bloat from Samsung, it ran even faster and was able to use apps deemed not compatible with Android 5. It came at a price of not able to use VoLTE or losing Samsung features like Smart stay. Mind you, this is the same company that sells 2Gb ram devices until 2021 (Tab A 8.0 2019 but luckily has Lineage support).

                But it destroys any corporate narrative about needing new hardware to run newer android versions and features. I wonder if you even tried them?

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • fI%
                  • 26 Jul 2023

                  True, this was the android version that revamped android system to become a lot smoother. One of the best android version

                  And I still have an original Motorola Moto G in my drawer that running 4.4.4 KitKat

                  5.0 lolipop just change the looks of the Ui but not running really well on low level hardware like Moto G.

                    Anonymous, 25 Jul 2023How long is too long? KitKat is a 10 years old version of A... moreWho are you arguing with

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • PxG
                      • 26 Jul 2023

                      Nokia 1100 never would have done that, we can still use it in futures like in Dune/Foundation.. and Zuck won't be listening to our calls across galaxies for targeted marketing..

                        • S
                        • S
                        • xjH
                        • 26 Jul 2023

                        Anonymous, 26 Jul 2023My Samsung phone (secondary) launched with Gingerbread but ... moreThose who can't buy new house with land, commercial prpperties which generates revenue will end up buying or exchanging there old phones within short period of time.
                        Why?
                        To show off their USD 1,000 purchase.
                        They will fail to show off their USD 10,000 purchase cause they can't afford to buy any in their life, if they survive 100 year.
                        Keep fun staying poor guys to them.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • n{k
                          • 26 Jul 2023

                          My first ever phone was android 4.4 and I was feeling very sad when I read this.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • g4b
                            • 26 Jul 2023

                            Anonymous, 26 Jul 2023I was using a Note 4 with Android 6 until last year. Except... moreA lot of people that make comments like that are usually from 3rd world countries/extremely poor, the kind of people that are used to playing CS:GO at 25fps. They are used to things stuttering and hanging

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • pjh
                              • 26 Jul 2023

                              Anonymous, 26 Jul 2023Some Gingerbread devices have Android 11. Those with more d... moreI was using a Note 4 with Android 6 until last year. Except some very bad random games, and couple of "very high profile" apps like Facebook, 98% of apps where not updated anymore on the playstore.

                              So pretty surprised to see this news, I tought 4.4 was abandonned long time ago.

                              Also, unfortunately, for people saying that their 4.4-5-6.1 phone is running Android 11 or 12 or 13, seriously ? I agree that the OS is running, but is it usable ? Personnaly, the old Snapgragon 805 phone I used on Android 11 was not very much usable except to receive some calls, even typing SMS was painful.

                              I don't think its specifically obsolescence, it is more like apps are now multiplaform and uses a lot of layers to accomodate on every platform, hence making the app slower. Most apps like Instagram, if you compare a version from 5-10 years ago, there is not so much difference in the UI, but it feels more consistent accros platforms.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • vaS
                                • 26 Jul 2023

                                Anonymous, 25 Jul 2023i didn't think any devices running Android 4.4 were st... moreSome Gingerbread devices have Android 11. Those with more dedicated teams or less hostile hardware, are able to run Android 13. Amazing if you don't hate your community but then you find out it doesn't make you money.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • vaS
                                  • 26 Jul 2023

                                  Anonymous, 25 Jul 2023Some people think just because they're on the lastest ... moreMy Samsung phone (secondary) launched with Gingerbread but was able to run Android 11, thanks to some dedicated people out there. Weaker ram and cpu but definitely has a screen looking far better than the budget trash Samsung still sells today. But it also showed that it won't be good for capitalism's business model of perpetual growth.

                                  Sadly, not a lot of newer devices are moddable and all thanks to the likes of Samsung doing an Apple. Making their devices hostile to modding communities.

                                  And we have consumers who buy something new yearly (and paying more for less features as well) , making phones more disposable than laptops. And reducing them to just cameras/facebook machines. Smh.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • vaS
                                    • 26 Jul 2023

                                    GAMIR3DH, 25 Jul 2023I always seen this version used on several low end phones/t... moreLmao. Did you miss Samsung selling 2Gb ram tablets in 2021? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • vaS
                                      • 26 Jul 2023

                                      Anonymous, 25 Jul 2023How long is too long? KitKat is a 10 years old version of A... moreStrange, but my Kitkat phone is currently running Android 11. Maybe if Google isn't bent on crippling Android so it doesn't become hostile to modding community.
                                      But then it wouldn't make money lmao.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 0cB
                                        • 26 Jul 2023

                                        AnonD-454049, 25 Jul 2023it won't if you install a custom romYou may be right but it isn't my thing. Will wait for S24 series instead.