topic Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support? in ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android Questions

Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

NathanMellor — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 20:46:24 GMT

I got this message from Google Play about this:

Android Developers Blog: Get your apps ready for the 64-bit requirement

I was unable to tell if the ArcGIS Android Runtime 100.4 is ready for 64 bit.

If it's not, apps with the ArcGIS Android Runtime will be kicked out of Google Playstore on August 1, 2019.

Given the length of development cycles in the SDK, I hope I have mentioned this in time.

I'm guessing these apps will depend on it also.

Android Apps by Esri on Google Play

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 10:49:36 GMT

Don't worry we've got it planned. The current 100.4 release doesn't support ARM64 v8a but this will be part of the 100.5 release which is due to be released in a few weeks time.

We already have the .so file for arm64-v8a in our daily builds so it is ready to go when we release.

ESRI apps which use ArcGIS Runtime for Android will be released against the version which support 64bit too.

The addition of this architecture of course means that you will need to consider how you build your APKs. If you make an APK which has .so files for x86 (supplied for emulators), armabi-v7a and arm64-v8a you run the risk of your install topping the 100mb limit. I'm currently writing an article which will be included in our guide doc to explain the approaches to address this.

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

SpeciesAppSpeciesApp — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 06:31:51 GMT

Currently i am using the library version 10.2.9. Is there a possibility of getting 64 bit support for this version?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

Anonymous User — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 08:37:41 GMT

We are using ArcGIS Run time for Xamarin to create android apps .will 100.5 Xamarin Sdk support 64bit?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:20:13 GMT

Haider,

For Xamarin, we already support Arm v8 x64 in 100.4 see System requirements for 100.4.0—ArcGIS Runtime SDK for .NET | ArcGIS for Developers

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:23:33 GMT

10.2.9 is quite an old version of our SDK and we don't plan on releasing this with 64 bit support. Your option will be to migrate your app to use the 100.5 release of ArcGIS Runtime for Android.

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

NathanMellor — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 04:01:05 GMT

It is now August and Google Play is rejecting my APK with 100.5

I don't see any instructions on this.

Did you make that document?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 10:33:51 GMT

Nathan,

We've had 64bit support for native Android development for some months. 100.5 and 100.6 releases have 64bit native binaries included in the SDK.

You need to set up your build script to use them. There are various approaches such as ABI Filters and APK splits. I've written the following page which introduces the subject. Reducing your APK size—ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android | ArcGIS for Developers

Follow the links to the Android developers site above which contain all the information you need on deploying apps to the store.

Does this help?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

SimranArora — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 15:39:17 GMT

Hi Mark,

We are running into similar issues when trying to publish our app on Play Store. It involves the x86_64 library. Can we discuss privately?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 16:09:11 GMT

At the moment, we only support the following ABIs:

- x86

- armeabi-v7a

- arm64-v8a

What device are you using which needs x86-64?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

NathanMellor — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 17:36:12 GMT

To clarify, the reducing APK size tip is mandatory, because Google Play won't allow x86 without x86-64.

If I make the change as you suggest, I get a warning from Google Play that some users won't be able to update, but I don't know if it is something to worry about.

My new APK says:

Native platforms

arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a

Supported Android devices: 8465 devices

The older APK.

Native platforms

1 differentiating: x86 + 2 common: arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a

Supported Android devices: 8466 devices

I have no way of telling what that one(1) device I am excluding and if it is real.

Pardon me for not knowing, but are there no real tablets/phones with Intel x86 Processors, 32 nor 64 bit?

Some years ago, Intel gave me an award and had me in one of their promotional videos, all because I compiled an app for x86 (which too only a few seconds). Did Intel never make it into the market?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

NathanMellor — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 17:37:28 GMT

Google Play won't let you support x86 if you don't support x86-64.

So the real question is, are there any real devices with either one of those processors?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 14:54:02 GMT

If you are developing using an emulator (not something I'd recommend), then to get decent performance on the x86 architecture of the emulator (running on your Mac or PC with an Intel or similar processor), you will be wanting to use the x86 ABI. This is why we include this ABI.

For deployment to the play store you should be targeting ARM (armeabi-v7a and arm64-v8a). I am aware that very small numbers of low volume production and prototype x86-64bit physical android devices exist, but they are not at all common. However if I've missed something new on the market, please let me know. For now, as far as I'm aware ARM is the main processor in Android devices.

This document introduces the subject Reducing your APK size—ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android | ArcGIS for Developers

It talks about emulators (x86) and the techniques for choosing a target release build architecture. Using ABI filters or APK splits are commonly considered options.

Most new devices are ARM 64bit today although Google have allowed us to run 32bit binaries until very recently.

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

AmitTaparia — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 16:07:52 GMT

Hi Mark,

I followed your article to reduce apk size(https://developers.arcgis.com/android/latest/guide/reducing-your-apk-size.htm)

May be I am missing something but even after following your article my apk size is well beyone 100 MB.

Checking the content of the .apk file, I found this out :

1. Esri.ArcGISRuntime.dll - 67,646 KB

2. libruntimecore.so - 57,432 KB

So just these 2 files from ESRI is contributing to more than 100 MB.

Google does allow to upload apps to play store which are above 100 MB using "Expansion Files" but this concept is only applicable to high resolution images/resource files. I dont think I can use Expansion Files to download .dll/.so files.

I have posted this questions against this link - https://community.esri.com/message/875514

Can you guys point me to the right direction?

Thanks

Amit

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

mh10 — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 16:59:04 GMT

I think Google pixelbooks are x86_64, we have a user who could use our app until we enabled 64bit support but now is getting UnsatisfiedLinkError.

We had to enable 64 bit build of our native library to get into the store, so our apk now has:

lib/x86/ourlib.so
lib/x86/libruntimecore.so
lib/x86/libruntimecore_java.so

lib/x86_64/ourlib.so

I think android won't load a 32bit lib if its already loaded a 64bit so it doesn't work anymore on his device. If you could add a x86_64 .so it would be awesome or even better if you know a way to get the 32bit lib to load?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 20:03:47 GMT

The Pixelbooks run on the Chrome OS which do claim to be able to run Android apps, but you've stumbled across a big difference in the architecture. Android is almost all ARM, where as the Pixelbook is x86 (intel). You will find this with lots of Android apps which use native libraries.

We don't officially support Chrome OS and we don't currently test the product on this OS. Android is our focus.

Support by Chrome OS for Android apps is something we've considered in the past but the demand has been virtually non-existent. I will certainly reevaluate the position for future releases.

Another potential way forward for supporting Chrome OS is to use our Java SE API. Again this isn't supported officially, but Chrome OS is Linux in the background. We support other Linux OS like Ubuntu for example. I might try this out as an exercise myself; it stands a better chance of success with that we have available now.

Can you PM me as I'd like to understand your market and how big the demand for Chrome OS support is.

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

mh10 — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 13:33:59 GMT

The user says that the app was working ok before we added 64bit support so at least some parts of the sdk work, he is first chrome OS user that I have seen in a while though.

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MattKallaoun — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 01:17:44 GMT

Hi all,

As most of you know as of February 2020, google play store won't allow you to push updates to apps that contains 32 bit libraries.

With the esri runtime libraries 100.4 - 100.7 there seems to still be an issue.

Google will reject:
ndk.abiFilters 'armeabi-v7a', 'arm64-v8a', 'x86' ,'x86_64'

Googel Accepts:
ndk.abiFilters ' 'arm64-v8a', 'x86_64'

Google accepting the ndk.abifilters removes the app from ALL 32 bit devices. Meaning that the app will not be available to almost 90% of the devices out there are unavailable.

We are putting in a support ticket, but wanted to get this online to see if anyone else is having these issues on trying to update their app after feb 1st 2020.

Thanks,

Matt

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MarkBaird — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 12:08:49 GMT

Matt,

The restriction you are experiencing is that Google no longer accept 32bit only applications. If you deploy 32bit for a given architecture then you must also include the 64bit libraries too.

The most common architecture of processor in Android devices is ARM. Intel based phones were around for a short time, but they dropped out of the market.

In your case you certainly need to include 'arm64-v8a' which is the library for ARM 64bit. I'd also suggest you include 'armabi-v7a' which is for 32bit ARM if you are likely to target these older devices.

I'd recommend reading this Reducing your APK size—ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android | ArcGIS for Developers

Does that help?

Re: Is the SDK ready for 64 bit support?

MattKallaoun — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 13:33:41 GMT

Thanks Mark, yes, the following worked!

For anyone else out there, place the following in the project gradle under defaultConfig. Anything else for us was rejected by the google play store.

ndk.abiFilters 'armeabi-v7a', 'arm64-v8a'