Android 16 on tablets and foldables: what your app must handle

What changed with Android 16

If your app targets Android 16 (API level 36), Android ignores its orientation, resizability and aspect ratio restrictions on any display whose smallest width is 600dp or more (sw600dp): tablets, unfolded foldables and desktop windows.

"Apps fill the entire display window, regardless of aspect ratio or a user's preferred orientation, and pillarboxing isn't used." Android, Behavior changes: apps targeting Android 16

That means these settings stop working on large screens:

• android:resizeableActivity="false"
• android:minAspectRatio and android:maxAspectRatio
• portrait-only or landscape-only android:screenOrientation, and setRequestedOrientation()

Since 31 August 2026, new apps and updates on Google Play must target API level 36, so this applies to every release you ship from now on.

Who's exempt

The change doesn't apply to:

• Games, identified by the android:appCategory flag in the manifest.
• Screens smaller than sw600dp, such as phones and folded foldables.
• People who choose your app's default behavior in their device's aspect ratio settings.

The temporary opt-out

You can opt out for now with a manifest property, on one activity or the whole application:

<property
  android:name="android.window.PROPERTY_COMPAT_ALLOW_RESTRICTED_RESIZABILITY"
  android:value="true" />

It's temporary: the opt-out stops working when your app targets API level 37 (Android 17). Use the time to fix layouts, not to postpone them.

Make it work instead

Android's adaptive app quality guidelines give three tiers to aim for:

Tier 3 is the minimum once Android ignores your restrictions. In practice:

1. Test on a large screen. Use the resizable emulator or a tablet and a foldable, in both orientations and in split screen.
2. Fix stretched layouts. Cap the reading width of text, and switch to two panes or a grid when the window is wide.
3. Keep state through changes. Rotating, folding or resizing shouldn't lose what someone typed or where they were.
4. Check the camera preview and video. Fixed-orientation previews are the most common thing to break.

Show it on your store listing

Google's guidance is to update your Play listing when you improve large-screen support: "Upload screenshots that show off the app on tablets and foldables." Google Play's own rules on tablet screenshots are on the Google Play size page.

Do this today

1. Search your manifest for screenOrientation, resizeableActivity and the aspect ratio attributes.
2. Run the app on a tablet emulator in landscape and in split screen, and note every screen that looks wrong.
3. If you add the opt-out, put a date on removing it before you target API 37.