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Lower API version support #5
Description
Hey! I stumble upon your repo when I was looking for a free video capture solution: I wanted to make my old lenovo tablet into a screen for a crashpad. But I wasn't able to install your app: the minimal Android version is 15, and I have 12.
So I forked, and with very little changes made a test build for Android 12: https://github.com/tsdaemon/consolation-android I tested it on my device, it worked well. Would you be interested if I open a PR to expand the list of supported versions?
UPD: And thank you for the app, it works great as a crash-pad screen!
Activity
jranson commentedon Sep 16, 2026
@tsdaemon 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 I'm glad the app is useful. We're faced with one challenge regarding this request: effective 31 August 2026, the Google Play Store's minimum allowed Android version is 16 (API 36). So the next version we publish actually requires increasing the minimum API version. I know this is not ideal for older tablets, so I will take a look at creating a separate branch for legacy devices (automated sync + downgrade of
main) that still publishes signed APK's here on GitHub but not to the Play Store. Give me a few days and I should be able to work that out for you.tsdaemon commentedon Sep 17, 2026
I was surpised by this, because it would effectively deny any new app on older Android versions. I think the actual restriction is about the target version, not min:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/11926878?hl=en&utm_source=chatgpt.com
NonRidiculousAdjective commentedon Sep 17, 2026
I just discovered your app too. It runs very well on my phone, but my true intention is repurposing my old ARMv7 Android 9 tablet into a second screen. All the other apps prioritize using UVC for camera playback and so there is usually no fullscreen option.
I'd definitely be up for a legacy device branch! You can still put it on Fdroid if you're worried that the reach might be too small if it's just on github.
jranson commentedon Sep 17, 2026
Thanks folks - #6 will reduce the minimum API to 28 (Android 9) while keeping the target API at 36 (Android 16). I do not have a pre-Android 16 device to test with, so help testing would be appreciated when the release lands. I need to add in the features requested in #4 and then we'll merge + cut release later today (U.S. time zones)
NonRidiculousAdjective commentedon Sep 17, 2026
Thanks a lot. I'd be happy to test it!
tsdaemon commentedon Sep 17, 2026
@jranson thank you! I verified #6 on lenovotab with android 12, it works well!
jranson commentedon Sep 18, 2026
Hey folks - v1.8.0 is now live here on github and pending approval in the Play Store. Enjoy!
NonRidiculousAdjective commentedon Sep 19, 2026
Managed to play around with it. It installs and runs, here are my results:
https://imgur.com/a/nhll11Z
(I dont think there is a way to post video on github, apologies for that.)
When running 20fps low resolution preset on the secondary format, the stream runs pretty well, tho with a slight noticeable delay.
Increasing the resolution to a little less than tablet's native resolution results in lower framerate than the one set. That seems to also be reported by the application itself. (seems that the secondary format is the limit here, which seems to be known as it is only suggested at low resolutions and framerate presets)
MJPEG seems to run without or with minimal framedropping on the native resolution all the way up to 50-60Hz with minimal lag, which is amazing but the output is also green and sort of shifted? Not sure how to describe it, the video of the phenomenon is among the others in the imgur link.