How to Use the Android targetSdk 35 Upgrade Prompt to Ship Edge to Edge Without Broken Screens

Raising targetSdk is a yearly chore for Android teams, and targeting API 35 brings changes that users can see right away. Edge to edge display is enforced, so toolbars and bottom buttons can slide under the system bars. Foreground services face new limits. If your app is still on API 33, you also inherit the API 34 changes in the same move. The Android targetSdk 35 Upgrade Planner: Stepwise 33 to 34 to 35 Hops, Edge to Edge Enforcement and WindowInsets Fixes, Foreground Service Types and the dataSync Timeout, Exported Receiver Flags, and a Play Target API Deadline Checklist prompt plans the upgrade one level at a time and turns each behavior change into a code search, a fix, and a test.

What the prompt produces

1. A hop plan that raises compileSdk first, then targetSdk 34, then 35, each as its own release.
2. Toolchain floors for the Android Gradle Plugin, Gradle, and Kotlin, with a reminder to check release notes.
3. API 34 checks for exported receiver flags, foreground service types and permissions, exact alarms, and implicit intents, each with a search pattern and fix.
4. API 35 checks for edge to edge layouts, the dataSync foreground service time limit, and restrictions on starting some service types at boot.
5. A background work map that ties your services, receivers, and alarms to the changes that affect them.
6. A dependency matrix for SDKs that touch the platform.
7. A test matrix covering navigation modes, dark mode, large fonts, and reboots.
8. A staged rollout plan with crash and ANR thresholds, plus a reminder to confirm the Play target API deadline in Play Console.

How to fill the inputs

BuildVersions lists compileSdk, targetSdk, minSdk, AGP, Kotlin, and Gradle. The hop plan depends on where you start.

UiStack says whether you use Views, Compose, or both, and names custom toolbars, bottom bars, and full screen screens. These are the first places edge to edge breaks.

BackgroundWork is where most surprises hide: foreground services, WorkManager jobs, alarms, receivers registered in code, and anything started at boot.

PlatformDeps lists push, maps, camera, media, and payment SDKs with versions.

ReleaseProcess describes your tracks, rollout steps, and monitoring.

Reading the example output

The example is a photo backup app on targetSdk 33 with mostly Views, two Compose screens, an upload foreground service, a network receiver, exact reminder alarms, and a boot receiver that restarts uploads.

• Two releases, not one. API 34 changes ship first, API 35 changes two weeks later, so problems are easy to trace.
• The upload service gets a type and permission in the manifest, shown as an exact snippet.
• The network receiver is marked not exported, using the compat helper.
• Edge to edge fixes are split between Views, using an insets listener and padding, and Compose, using Scaffold or insets padding.
• Long uploads move toward WorkManager, and the service handles its timeout cleanly.
• The boot receiver stops starting the service directly and enqueues work instead.

Tips for better results

• Change compileSdk alone first and fix warnings before touching targetSdk.
• Search the codebase for every pattern the prompt lists, even if you think you do not use it.
• Test with gesture navigation and three button navigation. Insets differ.
• Turn the font scale up. Clipped text often hides under bars after edge to edge.
• Watch ANRs as closely as crashes during rollout.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not jump from 33 to 35 in one release if you can avoid it.
• Do not opt out of edge to edge as a permanent fix. Treat any opt out as temporary.
• Do not assume third party SDKs are ready. Update and test them.
• Do not leave the target API deadline to the last week.

Who it is for

Android engineers, mobile tech leads, agencies maintaining client apps, and solo developers who keep a Play Store app alive and want a predictable yearly upgrade.

Related PromptDig links

Open the Android targetSdk 35 Upgrade Planner: Stepwise 33 to 34 to 35 Hops, Edge to Edge Enforcement and WindowInsets Fixes, Foreground Service Types and the dataSync Timeout, Exported Receiver Flags, and a Play Target API Deadline Checklist prompt and paste your build versions and background work to get your hop plan. For more coding and upgrade prompts, Browse more prompts. If your team has an upgrade checklist that works, Share a prompt.