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  "path": "/2026/04/get-your-wear-os-apps-ready-for-64-bit-requirement.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-01T20:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://android-developers.googleblog.com",
  "tags": [
    "Google TV and other form factors",
    "mobile",
    "APK Analyzer",
    "ABIs",
    "Wear OS Android Emulator",
    "required to target Wear OS 4",
    "native code loaders",
    "SoLoader",
    "OpenSSL",
    "documentation on supporting 64-bit architectures"
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  "textContent": "_Posted by Michael Stillwell, Developer Relations Engineer and Dimitris Kosmidis, Product Manager, Wear OS_\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n64-bit architectures provide performance improvements and a foundation for future innovation, delivering faster and richer experiences for your users. We’ve supported 64-bit CPUs since Android 5. This aligns Wear OS with recent updates for Google TV and other form factors, building on the 64-bit requirement first introduced for mobile in 2019.\n\nToday, we are extending this 64-bit requirement to Wear OS. This blog provides guidance to help you prepare your apps to meet these new requirements.\n\n### The 64-bit requirement: timeline for Wear OS developers\n\nStarting September 15, 2026:\n\n  * All new apps and app updates that include native code will be required to provide 64-bit versions in addition to 32-bit versions when publishing to Google Play.\n  * Google Play will start blocking the upload of non-compliant apps to the Play Console.\n\n\n\nWe are not making changes to our policy on 32-bit support, and Google Play will continue to deliver apps to existing 32-bit devices.\n\nThe vast majority of Wear OS developers has already made this shift, with 64-bit compliant apps already available. For the remaining apps, we expect the effort to be small.\n\n### Preparing for the 64-bit requirement\n\nMany apps are written entirely in non-native code (i.e. Kotlin or Java) and do not need any code changes. However, it is important to note that even if you do not write native code yourself, a dependency or SDK could be introducing it into your app, so you still need to check whether your app includes native code.\n\n## Assess your app\n\n  * **Inspect your APK or app bundle** for native code using the APK Analyzer in Android Studio.\n  * **Look for .so files** within the lib folder. For ARM devices, 32-bit libraries are located in lib/armeabi-v7a, while the 64-bit equivalent is lib/arm64-v8a.\n  * **Ensure parity:** The goal is to ensure that your app runs correctly in a 64-bit-only environment. While specific configurations may vary, for most apps this means that for each native 32-bit architecture you support, you should include the corresponding 64-bit architecture by providing the relevant .so files for both ABIs.\n  * **Upgrade SDKs:** If you only have 32-bit versions of a third-party library or SDK, reach out to the provider for a 64-bit compliant version.\n\n\n\n### How to test 64-bit compatibility\n\nThe 64-bit version of your app should offer the same quality and feature set as the 32-bit version. The Wear OS Android Emulator can be used to verify that your app behaves and performs as expected in a 64-bit environment.\n\n**Note:** Since Wear OS apps are required to target Wear OS 4 or higher to be submitted to Google Play, you are likely already testing on these newer, 64-bit only images.\n\nWhen testing, pay attention to native code loaders such as SoLoader or older versions of OpenSSL, which may require updates to function correctly on 64-bit only hardware.\n\n### Next steps\n\nWe are announcing this requirement now to give developers a six-month window to bring their apps into compliance before enforcement begins in September 2026. For more detailed guidance on the transition, please refer to our in-depth documentation on supporting 64-bit architectures.\n\nThis transition marks an exciting step for the future of Wear OS and the benefits that 64-bit compatibility will bring to the ecosystem.",
  "title": "Get your Wear OS apps ready for the 64-bit requirement",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-01T20:00:00.111Z"
}