Deploy to Android tablet always fails in 5.1

Development Programming & Scripting
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1

I’m currently trying to deploy a packaged game to a tablet. It always fails with this error:

ERROR: Installation of apk 'D:\Projects\Poppy and Buddy 5.1\Binaries/Android\PoppyAndBuddy419-Android-DebugGame-arm64.apk' failed: [INSTALL_FAILED_OLDER_SDK: Failed parse during installPackageLI: /data/app/vmdl1288049398.tmp/base.apk (at Binary XML file line #8): Requires newer sdk version #33 (current version is #29)]

No matter what I do, the text of that error never changes. The 33 and 29 parts are always the same.

This is despite trying every version of the android sdk from 8 to 14.

Changing target or minimum sdk in the project settings also doesn’t affect it, at all. I’ve tried from 23 to 33 with no change in the outcome.

I followed the setup guide exactly, then when nothing helped I deviated and started working through different versions of the SDK, but that error literally never changes.

I also ran updates on the device, which runs android 10.

What now? Switch to unity?

2

you might have to use 5.03 to pkg for that device.
or 4.27
UE 5.1 will only work with ndk 25
the android on the Quest 1 and older android devices is ndk 21
but you can’t tell unreal 5.1 to use ndk 21
it won’t
if you need to use 5.1
you will need to update your test device to the latest android
if you want compatibility with older android devices
you have to stay at 5.03 or less.
I am still mostly using 5.03 because my only test device is a Quest 1.
I have not seen a workaround.

1 Like
3

I’ve reverted to UE 4.27 but it has the exact same problem using ndk r21b. It’s infuriating.

The issue isn’t in UE by the way, it’s an error generated by the install script itself. I’ve heard of the exact same error happening with SideQuest.

I’m now using different combinations of SDK, API and NDK settings and can’t progress.