Android Mad - Development Guide for Mobile App Development

A critical deadline is approaching for .NET MAUI developers who distribute applications through Google Play. Beginning November 1, 2025, Google Play will mandate that all new applications and updates designed for Android 15 and higher must be compatible with 16 KB page sizes on 64-bit devices.

Understanding the 16 KB Memory Page Requirement

Android is transitioning from its traditional 4 KB memory page architecture to a larger 16 KB format. This shift is designed to enhance performance on modern devices equipped with substantial RAM. The benefits of this architectural change extend beyond system-level improvements and directly impact individual applications:

• Faster Application Launch: Applications experience an average 3.16% reduction in launch time, with some apps seeing improvements up to 30%
• Enhanced Energy Efficiency: Power consumption during app launch decreases by an average of 4.56%
• Better System Responsiveness: The overall Android operating system becomes more responsive. For example, the native camera app shows 4.48% faster hot starts and 6.60% faster cold starts

Compatibility with .NET MAUI

The positive news for developers is that .NET MAUI 9 includes native support for 16 KB page sizes. To ensure your application meets Google's requirements, simply migrate your .NET MAUI (or .NET for Android) project to .NET 9. Once upgraded, your application will automatically comply with the 16 KB page size standard.

Important Note: Keep in mind that .NET MAUI 8 reached its end-of-support date on May 14, 2025, according to the official .NET MAUI support policy.

Auditing Your Project Dependencies

Compliance isn't just about your main application—every dependency in your .NET MAUI project must also support 16 KB page sizes. During the build process, the system will alert you to any non-compliant dependencies with warnings similar to:

Android 16 will require 16 KB page sizes, shared library '{library_name}' does not have a 16 KB page size. Please inform the authors of the NuGet package '{package_name}' version '{version}' which contains '{file_path}'. See https://developer.android.com/guide/practices/page-sizes for more details.

When encountering these warnings, follow this approach:

• Upgrade the problematic dependency to a newer version with 16 KB support
• Reach out to package maintainers if no compatible version exists
• Consider alternative packages if the original is no longer actively maintained

For developers who want to perform additional verification, Google provides command-line tools in their documentation that can help validate compliance for your application and its dependencies.

Your Preparation Checklist

To meet the November 2025 deadline, follow these steps:

• Migrate to .NET 9 if you're currently on an earlier version
• Analyze all dependencies for 16 KB page size compatibility
• Update or substitute any dependencies that don't meet the requirements
• Thoroughly test your application in a 16 KB environment using Android emulators or developer options on physical Android devices

Critical Reminder: Don't postpone this work until the last moment. Begin your preparation immediately to ensure smooth app submissions that comply with Google Play policies and maintain uninterrupted release schedules.

Final Thoughts

While the 16 KB page size requirement introduces a new compliance obligation, it also delivers tangible performance improvements. The .NET MAUI 9 framework is already equipped to handle this requirement—your responsibility is ensuring your dependencies are equally prepared. Upgrade to .NET 9, conduct a thorough dependency audit, and validate your application in 16 KB testing environments to be ready well before the November 2025 cutoff date.