targetingui
Edge-to-edge enforcement begins
Apps targeting Android 15 draw edge-to-edge by default and the system ignores some APIs that hid the system bars.
What to doApply insets to your content and stop relying on deprecated inset APIs.
API 15 · ICE_CREAM_SANDWICH_MR1
Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich
Bug fixes and CDMA optimisations
What shipped
- Bug fixes and CDMA optimisations
What developers had to deal with
- New calendar and media provider APIs
Behaviour changes
The full archive has every recorded change with its migration advice.
targetingbackground
Foreground service dataSync timeout
Data-sync foreground services have a time limit, after which the system stops them.
What to doRestructure long syncs into WorkManager or user-initiated data transfer jobs.
targetingmedia
Background audio hardening
Android 15 restricts apps that start audio playback from the background without a valid foreground service.
What to doStart audio from a foreground service with the mediaPlayback type if playback must continue in the background.
targetingsecurity
SQLite strict mode by default
Apps targeting Android 15 get SQLite strict behaviour, which rejects ambiguous or unsafe SQL.
What to doFix queries that rely on loose type coercion or non-standard syntax.
all appsruntime
16 KB page size support
Android 15 devices may use 16 KB memory pages, so native libraries must be aligned accordingly.
What to doBuild native code with 16 KB alignment and test on a 16 KB emulator image.
all appsnotifications
Notification cooldown
The system reduces notification sound volume when many notifications arrive rapidly.
What to doNo app change; batch or group notifications sensibly.
all appspermissions
Restricted screen reading
Android 15 restricts access to screen content for apps that are not the default assistant or accessibility services.
What to doUse the MediaProjection consent flow for screen capture instead of relying on accessibility shortcuts.
targetingsecurity
Foreground service types are enforced for more cases
Android 15 expands which foreground service types require matching permissions and declarations.
What to doAudit every foreground service and declare the narrowest correct type with its permission.
all appsstorage
Media projection consent changes
Android 15 changes the screen-sharing consent UI and lets the user share a single app instead of the whole screen.
What to doHandle partial-screen sharing and the new consent flow in screen capture features.
all appsprivacy
Private Space
Android 15 adds Private Space, a separately locked profile for apps and data, which affects package visibility and cross-profile behaviour.
What to doDo not assume a fixed number of profiles; query profiles through UserManager.
Where this sits
Release 15 of 37 API levels, by date
- Headline features
- 1
- Architecture changes
- 0
- Developer changes
- 1
- Sources cited
- 2
Kernel
This release shipped on Linux kernel versions 3.0.8. Kernel versions vary by device.