So, it seems we can’t publish Android apps because, as far as I can see, Bubble isn’t building them to fit with Google’s 16 KB page size requirements. I’ve been waiting on support since about 12 November, with no news beyond “thanks for your patience.”
So a few questions…
How come it seems to have come as a surprise to Bubble?
How come we didn’t get any information from Bubble about this, and maybe suggest that we push the deadline back on Google BEFORE the deadline? It might be a good idea, since your app builds won’t work after.
How come there isn’t a fix for this?
As it is, my customer’s app is launched WITHOUT an Android version. When they ask when it will be published, I have to say “thank you for your patience but I have no news”
Oh, and just an opinion here, how about building a platform that does the basics as advertised, like publishing apps to the app stores, rather than mucking about with gimicky AI stuff.
I understand your frustration. This is indeed a challenging situation for the Bubble community.
Regarding your questions:
Why this came as a surprise - Google announced this 16KB page size requirement back in 2023 as part of their efforts to support newer Android devices with different memory page sizes. The deadline was originally set and has been known in the Android development community for a while.
Communication from Bubble - You are right that better communication would have helped. Platform updates like this that affect app publishing should be communicated well in advance.
Why there is no fix yet - The 16KB page size requirement is a fundamental change in how Android handles memory. It requires updating the build tools, dependencies, and potentially recompiling native libraries. This is not a simple fix and requires significant engineering work.
What you can do right now:
Request an extension from Google until May 31, 2026 as mentioned in the thread. This gives you more time while Bubble works on a solution.
Submit a support ticket to Bubble asking for a timeline on 16KB support. The more users request this, the higher priority it gets.
Consider if you can temporarily use the web version of your app wrapped in a WebView container as a workaround, though this is not ideal.
For your customers, you can explain that this is a Google Android platform requirement affecting many app builders, not just Bubble.
I know this does not solve the immediate problem, but hopefully it provides some context and next steps. Bubble needs to prioritize this fix given how many users it affects.
