For years, the majority of Android apps assumed a simple scenario: the screen stays upright. Rotate the device, and nothing changes.
That assumption is about to break.
Google is introducing new requirements that push Android apps towards adaptive layouts: interfaces that respond intelligently when screen size or orientation changes. This shift starts with Android 16 and becomes unavoidable with Android 17.
If you own or manage an Android app, this is something you should be aware of now, not later.
What’s actually changing?
Historically, Android apps could lock themselves to portrait mode. This made design and development simpler, and for phone-centric usage, it worked well. It also minimised the effort for designers - as they only had 1 real layout to consider.
But Android is no longer just a phone platform. It now runs on:
- tablets
- foldable devices
- Chromebooks
- in-car and TV systems
To support this range, Google is enforcing a move away from fixed-orientation assumptions. Apps will increasingly be expected to adapt their layouts dynamically as screen size or shape changes.
When does this start to matter?
Google enforces these changes through its platform update cycle:
- From August 2026, apps submitted to the Play Store must target Android 16. At this point, orientation locks can no longer be relied upon. Even if your app was only designed for portrait, and was marked as portrait only, this flag will be ignored. Upon rotation, the operating system will force a re-layout.
- From August 2027, targeting Android 17 makes adaptive behaviour unavoidable.
Android 16 does include a temporary opt-out, but this is a one-year grace period. It is not a permanent solution.
Opting out simply pushes the problem down the road and shortens the time available to address it before Android 17 removes that option entirely.
Why Google is doing this?
In our opinion, this change is largely driven by the emergence of foldable devices.
Foldables can change shape while an app is running, something fixed layouts were never designed to handle. From Google’s perspective:
- poorly adapting apps harm the perception of new devices
- consistent layout behaviour improves platform adoption
- apps must work across a much broader range of screen sizes
As a result, adaptive layouts are becoming a baseline expectation, not an optional enhancement.
As a Product Owner, why should I care?
This isn’t just a technical concern.
If an app isn’t designed to adapt:
- screens may look awkward or unfinished
- content may be clipped or obscured
- controls may overlap or move unexpectedly
Users won’t see this as “an Android change”. They see it as a quality issue.
Over time, this becomes a product and brand problem, not an engineering one.
What if I don’t do anything?
We’d advise against ignoring this.
If no changes are made:
- the operating system will still attempt to re-layout your app
- layout issues may only appear late in testing or after release
- fixing problems later is typically more disruptive and costly
Addressing adaptive layouts deliberately keeps you in control of how your product looks and behaves, rather than leaving those decisions to the platform.
Its not really a new concept
This transition mirrors what happened on the web years ago with responsive design. Just like then: Interfaces shouldn’t simply stretch to fill space; If properly designed, they should reorganise to use the space well.
The same thinking is now becoming necessary on Android.
Learn more
We’ve published a short white paper that goes into more detail on:
- the Android 16 / 17 timeline
- what “adaptive” really means in practice
- how product teams can approach this sensibly and incrementally
👉 You can download the white paper here (and don’t worry, we’re not going to swap it for your email address)
Thanks for reading the Tapadoo blog. We've been building iOS and Android Apps since 2009. If your business needs an App, or you want advice on anything mobile, please get in touch