Which OS Versions Should My App Support for Optimal Performance?

My Views as a Software Engineer

Software engineers continually strive to apply the latest technologies and architectural developments to their work. New releases of mobile operating systems add new features and APIs that allow for making more stable, functional, and pleasing-to-the-eye apps. The thing is, new operating system versions pose certain problems, they add new features but in return might not support some previous versions, which may cause compatibility problems in your application.

You have to determine the minimum OS version to be supported. It is a trade-off that has to be made between catering to the existing older versions and not stretching too far backward since that might increase the development time and eventually the cost. Eventually, it is about making strategic choices to maximize your app’s impact, knowing the inevitability of mobile development.

Android OS Support: What Versions to Prioritize

Google does not have control over all devices and manufacturers so they cannot completely control the delivery of new updates. Most Android devices are manufactured by third-party companies (Samsung, LG, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.), each with its policy on if and when devices are updated with new versions of the operating system. Some manufacturers simply don’t want to invest the effort in adjusting their customized Android OS for older devices.

Current State of Android OS Versions

As of today, the minimum recommendation for Andriod App Development is Android 10 (Q) and onwards. It introduced critical updates and enhancements such as advanced privacy control and overall better performance. Successive releases of Android 11, 12, and 13 have continued this pace, adding even more capabilities and optimizations. And not stopping there, the latest release of Android 14 adds even more functionality and security.

To know the latest about the present situation with Android version distribution, have a look at Google’s dashboard, or other reliable sources tracking the usage statistics of OS versions.

iOS version usage

Current iOS Adoption Trends

• Adoption Rates
  Apple regularly updates its iOS adoption statistics. Check the Apple Developer website or other reliable sources for the most recent data on iOS version distribution.
• Deployment Target
  For new projects, set the deployment target to the previous major version of iOS. This will ensure your app is compatible with the latest two versions. For existing apps with a large user base, you might consider supporting up to the third-most-recent version if it aligns with your user demographics and usage patterns.
• Device Compatibility
  If you want to exclude support for older devices, you can set your deployment target accordingly. For example, to exclude devices running iOS 11 and earlier, set your deployment target to iOS 12 or higher.

Final Thoughts: Balancing Innovation and User Compatibility

From my experience, don’t stick with old versions based solely on device statistics. Ignoring the reality of your user base will raise the costs and increase the app development time. If you phase out the support of older OS versions, you streamline the development process, and your codebase will maintain a much cleaner architecture. This alone reduces the effort of maintenance, freeing resources for implementing new features and innovations.

The key is to keep your target audience in mind and to make decisions strategically based on real users’ needs and trends. Remember, you can’t satisfy every single user, so focus on the optimizations for the majority while leveraging modern technologies and improving the overall user experience.

About Digicode

Digicode is a proven software development company in Dallas that provides cutting-edge solutions with a wide range of features and exceptional results. To expedite your mobile project, you may leverage your mobile app development services. We have a deep understanding of our client’s requirements as we have been providing software development services for 16 years!

Our area of expertise is end-to-end mobile app development with best-in-class UI/UX Designs. In addition, we design mobile apps for iOS and Android across a variety of sectors using cutting-edge cross-platform technology frameworks like React Native, Flutter, and native languages.