ODK Collect will require Android 8 or higher early 2026 (projected for March/April). Devices running older versions won’t be able to update beyond Collect v2026.1 unless the device operating system is upgraded.
We know this change can be challenging for some teams, so we’re giving advance notice and adding a banner in Collect to remind teams to prepare.
Why are we making this change?
Android has evolved significantly, making it increasingly difficult to support older versions without compromising stability and user experience. By raising the minimum version to Android 8 (released in 2017), we can take advantage of valuable system improvements. Collect v2025.4 will remain available in the Play Store and available for devices running Android 5.1-Android 7.1.2.
The Android 8 minimum version matches requirements of widely-used apps like Facebook Lite and we believe it’s a good balance between ensuring a good experience for newer devices and still supporting older devices that still have a lot of life in them.
What will happen next?
If Collect detects an Android version below 8, users will see a banner message notifying them about the upcoming change. Users will see the warning banner in the next release, and the update will officially happen in v2026.1.