Pixel 7 & Pixel 7 Pro Only Support 64 bit Apps
October 15, 2022 By Raulf Hernes
(Image Credit Google)
Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are significant phones for a variety of reasons, but one of the most important is how they support apps. As it turns out, the Pixel 7 series is the first Android phone to disable support for non-64-bit apps. What does it imply?
It's no secret that Google is working toward a future in which Android is a 64-bit operating system rather than one that only supports 32-bit software. What's the distinction between the two? In short, a 64-bit operating system can access significantly more memory addresses, resulting in improved performance and security. When Google switched to a 64-bit build of Chrome for Android, for example, it boasted speed improvements.
Android first supported 64-bit apps with the release of Android 5.0 in 2011, but the platform has always supported 32-bit apps in the years since. In 2019, Google made 64-bit support mandatory for all apps distributed through the Google Play Store, Android's primary source of apps, with the Play Store later ceasing to serve apps that either didn't support 64-bit or didn't have a 64-bit version.
Google is now taking the next step by releasing the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro with 64-bit only app support, but without a hard block.
According to Mishaal Rahman, the Pixel 7 series only supports 64-bit apps. The devices, however, do not run on a 64-bit only version of Android, instead only blocking the installation of 32-bit apps, with a message stating "app not installed as the app isn't compatible with your phone" appearing when a user tries to install a 32-bit app.
Google's decision to only support 64-bit apps on the Pixel 7 series should have no discernible impact on your experience.
Meanwhile, Google's Pixel Tablet is expected to be the first Android device to be truly 64-bit only, with Android 14 potentially taking that step even further for other devices.