Calling API from higher API level than the minimum requirement

Question

I wrote most of an app just fine with min API level set to 7. I want to call a single API from level 8. Users with lower versions of android will survive without this \"extra fe

Answer 1

Would this one line be ignored?

No.

Would my app crash?

Spectactularly. :-)

Would the app be filtered by Google Play so they can't install?

No.

I'd like to have this single line ignore on lower devices.

You have two problems:

1. @SuppressLint("NewApi") was the wrong quick-fix choice

2. You didn't add any code to avoid this line on older devices

Use @TargetApi(...) instead of @SuppressLint("NewApi"), where ... is the name (e.g., FROYO) or number (e.g., 8) of the code that your method is referencing.

But before you do that, wrap your offending lines in a check to see if they should be executed on this device:

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT>=Build.VERSION_CODES.FROYO) {
  // then execute your code that requires API Level 8
}
// optional else block if you have some workaround for API Level 7

Your if check will cause your line to be avoided. Your @TargetApi annotation will cause Lint to stop yelling at you about referencing a too-new class or method.