in 2026?
By an Android Developer Since 2012
I’ve been developing Android apps since 2012.
That’s pre-Material Design, pre-Kotlin, pre-Play Store policy madness.
So when people ask me whether Android development is still worth it in 2026, my answer is simple:
Yes. But only if you understand the game has changed.
Back in the early days, Android was wild. You could build a simple app, upload it, add ads, and sometimes it would just work. Some apps made money without much effort. Policies were loose. Competition was lower.
That era is long gone.
Today, most Android apps don’t fail because of bad code. They fail because of policy issues. Wrong target audience. Poor privacy policy. Unnecessary permissions. Ad setup mistakes.
Google Play has become stricter, and honestly, more mature.
What still works in 2026 are simple, honest apps.
Utility apps.
Offline tools.
Niche content apps.
Apps built for a specific purpose and a specific group of users.
Not “the next big thing”. Not hype apps. Just useful software.
Monetization is slower now. Ad revenue is not exciting anymore unless you have scale. But a small portfolio of clean apps can still generate steady income over time.
The key difference is mindset.
Android is no longer about shortcuts.
It rewards patience, compliance, and consistency.
My personal rule now is this:
If an app solves a real problem, needs minimal permissions, and can be explained in one sentence, it’s probably worth building.
Android isn’t dead in 2026.
It just stopped rewarding low effort.
If you enjoy building useful things and don’t mind the long game, Android development is still very much alive.
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