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Comment by mlinksva | Hacker News Reader

Supporting Android 5.0+ is impressive, though there was another file manager supporting Android 1.0+ discussed recently https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38789958 (I'm impressed by both, not an Android developer, curious how one ensures compatibility with ancient versions; actual testing, a compatibility linter, other?)

I also enjoy Material Files' README, particularly https://github.com/zhanghai/MaterialFiles#why-material-files (a clear articulation of "Why" is always informative) and https://github.com/zhanghai/MaterialFiles#inclusion-in-custo... (clear guidance to upstreams seems relatively uncommon, helps shed light on ecosystem dynamics otherwise invisible to me anyway).

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> curious how one ensures compatibility with ancient versions; actual testing, a compatibility linter, other?

Android linter does check that access to APIs added in newer versions is gated behind a version check, for example. But frankly I feel like compatibility with any Android version less than 4 (or even 5) is in practice a non-issue, simply because there are no users with such ancient Android. And the few that would use such devices are so far and between that any issues don't surface

My perfectly serviceable Barnes and Noble Nook uses Android 4.4 and I use the device almost every single day. Mostly I study with Ankidroid but I would love a web browser for the thing. Being an e-ink device, it is perfect for reading.

My Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0" runs Android 4.2, and I use it to watch videos and play music when practicing piano or exercising

I'm not saying _nobody_ uses those devices, I'm just saying they're sufficiently old that saying _my app supports Android 3.x_ is moot, because the usage on that API will be near 0 anyway, so you never really know if you _support_ that version outside of any testing that you might be doing. Android 4 and lower have estimated share of 0.3%-0.7% depending on a source ([1], [2]). Of course HN users will be more likely to have those devices too. And then of 0.5% users that maybe will install the app some will have no issues, some will have issues but not notice, some will notice but not bother reporting.

[1] https://apilevels.com/ [2] https://www.composables.com/tools/distribution-chart

Corollary to your statement: of the very small (<1%) group of users running such ancient versions of Android, 100% read HN and will be responding to your comment. As if it invalidated the stats on actual usage: https://apilevels.com/

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