In this guide, we will show you steps to install Android 6 or older APKs on your device running Android 14+. The fourteenth iteration of the OS has brought quite a few noteworthy tweaks and intriguing features to the fore. Apart from that, there have been numerous under-the-hood changes as well. One such change is the fact that you can no longer install apps with a Target SDK Version lower than 23, which corresponds to API 23/Android 6.0.
The reasoning behind its implementation is quite straightforward- ” to improve security and privacy for users”. After all, installing an app over 8 years old on your current device that hasn’t been updated in ages could definitely prove to be a risky bet. Moreover, if you try to install such an app on the latest OS build, then you’ll be greeted with the following error message [it will be present in the Logcat]:
INSTALL_FAILED_DEPRECATED_SDK_VERSION: App package must target at least SDK version 23, but found 7
However, the users are very well aware of this fact and if they are still planning to install it, then there might be some reasoning behind it. So let’s exploit this open-source OS, bypass this limitation, and show you the steps to install Android 6 or older APKs on your device running Android 14+. Follow along.
Table of Contents
How to Install Android 6 or older APKs on Android 14+
Installing an older app [and that too for such an outdated OS] might end up doing more harm than good, so proceed ahead with caution. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps.
Method 1: Via ADB Command
- Download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
- Then enable USB Debugging and connect your device to the PC.
- Now, open Command Prompt inside this platform-tools folder.
- Then rename the APK to app.apk and place it inside this folder.
- Finally, type in the below command to install the older APK file:
adb install --bypass-low-target-sdk-block app.apk
- That’s it. Android 6 or older APK is now installed on Android 14.
Method 2: Via Root
- To begin with, root your device via Magisk.
- Then install and set up the LSPosed Framework.
- Now download and install Disable Target API Block.
- Then launch LSPosed and go to the Modules section.
- Now enable the toggle next to Disable Target API Block.
- Then restart your device for the module to be activated.
- You may now install the old APK without any issues.
That’s it. These were the steps to install Android 6 or older APKs on your device running Android 14+. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.
