Goodbye Android KitKat: Google Play Services Ends Support for Android 4.4

A decade is an eternity in tech, and it looks like Google is ready to retire the old operating system to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Yes, it’s true. It has been 10 years since Google rolled out Android 4.4, better known as Android KitKat. Now, it’s time to say goodbye to Android KitKat as Google Play services ended support for Android 4.4.

Just last month, a report revealed the percentage of devices running on a particular version of Android. The report further revealed that Android 11 (codename Red Velvet Cake) is the most widely available release of Android as of May 2023. The report also highlighted that supposedly 15 million devices are still using Android 4.4.

Goodbye Android KitKat: Google Play Services Ends Support for Android 4.4

However, when compared to the rest of the available versions, Android KitKat only amounted to about 0.5% of the global share. That percentage appears to be low enough for Google to finally put its efforts into it.

In a quick post on the Android Developers Blog, Google announced that it is no longer supporting KitKat in future releases of Google Play services. The tech giant highlights the fact that the active device count on KitKat has fallen below 1% as a reason to move on.

As of July 2023, the active device count on KK is below 1% as more and more users update to the latest Android versions. Therefore, we are no longer supporting KK in future releases of Google Play services. KK devices will not receive versions of the Play Services APK beyond 23.30.99.

If you have one of the devices that is still on KatKit, you still have a little time left. According to Google, Google Play services will be discontinued on KitKat starting August 2023.

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