It’s no secret that Google has been working on phasing out 32-bit app support on Android. Indeed, since 2019, App developers were required to support 64-bit architecture in their apps in order to publish them on the Google Play Store. It was one of many signs that 32-bit was dead, and Google was going to do whatever it took to ban it.
However, as Android Police pointed out, we didn’t expect the chopping block to come out before Android 14, but Google apparently had a different idea. Android Specialist Mishaal Rahman spotted that Pixel 7 and 7 pro come with a 64-bit-only version of Android 13, which means 32-bit apps cannot be installed on these devices.
It solidifies it Google is ready for the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit and play no games. Granted, unless you sideload APKs with 32-bit apps like Flappy Bird and the like, you probably won’t experience any issues or notice anything different. As mentioned earlier, the apps on play store already support 64 bittherefore, it is unlikely that you will not be able to install any of the applications hosted there.
It may also mean that while Google was willing to drop 32-bit on the Pixel 7 series, there’s nothing stopping them from doing the same with upcoming devices, like the Pixel tablet, before the official release of Android 14. It’s unclear if Google will officially recognize it for the Pixel 7 series or when it announces a “last call” on 32-bit support. However, the writing is on the wall and apps must follow the new standard.
