Return to Answer

Applications that are entirely built from Java or Kotlin code, including all the libraries and SDKs they use, don't care about which of armv7a and armv8a a device supports. However, quite a few apps include "native code", or "machine code", usually compiled from C or C++ code using the Android Native Development Kit ("NDK").

Applications that are entirely built from Java or Kotlin code, including all the libraries and SDKs they use, don't care about which of armv7a and armv8a a device supports. However, quite a few apps include "native code", aka "machine code", usually compiled from C or C++ code using the Android Native Development Kit ("NDK").

It's a good thing that Google have been demanding that new and updated apps include armv8a code since August 2019 if they include any native code.

If the Android NDK acquires an option to build for armv9a, such code won't run on armv7a or armv8a devices. I presume that Google will require APKs with armv9a code to provide armv8a code as well, at least for a few years.

It's a good thing that Google have been demanding that new and updated apps for the Play Store include armv8a code since August 2019 if they include any native code.

If and when the Android NDK acquires an option to build for armv9a, such code won't run on armv7a or armv8a devices. I presume that Google will require APKs with armv9a code to provide armv8a code as well, at least for a few years.

Your armv7a device can happily run the code that's intended for it. It can understand that, and has the libraries and other software it needs to run it. It can't understand armv8a code at all, and is thus unable to run it. Applications that only support armv8a thus can't be run, so Android prevents you from installing them.

Forthcoming Complexities

Your armv7a device can happily run the code that's intended for it. It can understand that, and has the libraries and other software it needs to run it. It can't understand armv8a code at all, and is thus unable to run it. Applications that only support armv8a thus can't be run, so Android prevents you from installing them. If it let you install them, you'd waste data and storage finding out that they crashed when run.

Forthcoming complexities