Disable Target API Block
by buttercookie42 · MPL-2.0 · open source
Lifts the block Android 14 and later put on installing apps built for very old Android versions, for every install method.
Needs:Root + LSPosed · Android 14+
2113 Apps is independent, not affiliated with or endorsed by buttercookie42. Official sources: source code on GitHub.
- Version
- 1.2
- Size
- 14 KB
- Requires
- Android 14+
- Updated
- 2025-10-18
Introduction
Starting with Android 14, Google blocks the installation of apps that target a very old API level: anything below 23 (Android 6.0 Marshmallow) on Android 14, and below 24 (Android 7.0) from Android 15 on. Try to install one and you get an error, even though the app might run perfectly well. This Xposed module removes that block.
Why the block is a problem
The block can be bypassed, but only from a computer or a root shell: adb install --bypass-low-target-sdk-block, or pm install with the same flag. That doesn’t help when you:
- tap an old APK in your file manager and just want it to install,
- restore apps with a backup tool that hasn’t been updated for Android 14,
- use any other app that installs APKs the normal way.
The module hooks Android’s installer so every installation behaves as if that flag had been passed. Old apps install normally again, from any source.
What you need
- Android 14 or newer. The APK won’t install on anything older, and older versions don’t have the block anyway.
- Root and an Xposed framework such as LSPosed. The module is built on the classic Xposed API, and its entry point is in
assets/xposed_init.
No root? Install with Options can bypass the same block through Shizuku, one install at a time.
What stands out in the APK
This is about as small as an Android app gets: 14 KB, no permissions at all, no native code, and nothing matching any tracker signature. The whole package is one hook, which also makes it easy to audit if you want to read the source.
Installing it
- Install the APK.
- Open LSPosed, enable Disable Target API Block and select the scope it suggests (the system framework).
- Reboot. The hook only takes effect in system processes started after it is enabled.
- Install your old APK as usual.
Worth knowing
Google added the block because apps targeting very old API levels skip newer permission and security rules. An app built for Android 5 can, for example, get permissions granted at install time that a modern app would have to ask for. Removing the block is reasonable for apps you know and trust. It isn’t a reason to install arbitrary old APKs.
What’s inside the APK
Trackers
No code matching the Exodus Privacy tracker signatures.
Native code
Pure Java/Kotlin, so it runs on any CPU.
Android versions
Built for Android 16 (target API 36).
Permissions
0 of them need your approval first.
Xposed API. Built against the Xposed API. It needs an Xposed framework such as LSPosed, which in turn needs root. (de.robv.android.xposed.IXposedHookLoadPackage)
More Information
- Package name
- de.buttercookie.disabletargetapiblock
- Version
- 1.2 (build 5)
- File size
- 14 KB (13,976 bytes)
- Requires
- Android 14 or later
- Category
- Root & Mods
- License
- MPL-2.0
- Developer
- buttercookie42
- Source code
- github.com/buttercookie42/DisableTargetAPIBlock
- Released
- Oct 18, 2025
- Signer SHA-256
- 7baab2feb8ac7fe10fe5414e4d28aa901a525981b1201e2d583df5bb6d9b1b13
- File SHA-256
- e9d675c2fefeb4e47ee43eb15f4cd8393c1e8c7ccb831a531cfaf00add3a974b
- Checked
- , against the IzzyOnDroid index · how we check · verify it yourself
Common questions
Is this APK the official Disable Target API Block release?
Yes. It is the developer’s own release of Disable Target API Block 1.2, byte for byte as IzzyOnDroid distributes it. Its SHA-256 matches IzzyOnDroid’s signed index, and it is signed with the certificate IzzyOnDroid records for the app (SHA-256 7baab2feb8ac7fe10fe5414e4d28aa901a525981b1201e2d583df5bb6d9b1b13).
What Android version does Disable Target API Block need?
Android 14 or later (API level 34). Version 1.2 is built for Android 16 (target API 36). Pure Java/Kotlin, so it runs on any CPU.
Can Disable Target API Block access the internet?
No. The APK doesn’t request Android’s internet permission, so the app can’t go online by itself. In total it declares 0 permissions, and none of them needs your approval first.
Does Disable Target API Block contain trackers?
No known trackers: our scan of version 1.2 found no code matching the Exodus Privacy tracker signatures. The scan covers known tracker libraries; it doesn’t show what data the app itself sends.
Is Disable Target API Block open source?
Yes. Disable Target API Block is released under the MPL-2.0 licence, and its source code is published at https://github.com/buttercookie42/DisableTargetAPIBlock.
Recent releases
| Version | Released | Size | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1.2 · this download | Oct 18, 2025 | 14 KB | Android 14+ |
| v1.1 | Apr 9, 2025 | 13 KB | Android 14+ |
| v1.0.1 | Aug 21, 2024 | 13 KB | Android 14+ |
Versions currently kept in the IzzyOnDroid repository. We host and check only the newest one. Full changelog.
Alternatives and related apps
-
Install with Options Bypasses the same block without root, through Shizuku, one install at a time.Download
