Apple discontinued support for 32-bit apps in 2017. Things appear to be changing on the Android front as well. The Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, which just came out, seem to be the first Android phones that can only run 64-bit apps.
On Twitter, Mishaal Rahman revealed that the Google Pixel 7 series could be the first 64-bit-only Android smartphones. Furthermore, several users reported that their new Pixel phones were unable to sideload specific apps, most likely 32-bit ones. The new Pixels, however, do not run a 64-bit-only version of Android. Google stops people from installing 32-bit apps by showing a message that says “app not installed because the app is not compatible with your phone.”
This change will have no effect on your experience because Google has spent a significant amount of time over the last decade building up support for 64-bit in Android. Since August 2019, the Google Play Store has required all apps to have 64-bit support, and it has also stopped serving 32-bit apps that do not have 64-bit support.
These days, it’s difficult to find a 32-bit app. We can only think of one 32-bit-only app: Flappy Bird, which was popular for a short time. What are the advantages of 64-bit apps? Nothing noticeable from the users’ perspective. However, 64-bit apps are more secure, perform better, and have lower processing costs.
