Deciding what to support.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Which application versions are still in use Which operating system versions your users have What proportion each represents
WHAT TO DECIDE
The minimum operating system version you support The minimum application version you accept
WHAT DROPPING AN OLD OPERATING SYSTEM COSTS
Users, which locally may be a meaningful proportion.
WHAT SUPPORTING IT COSTS
Conditional code, unavailable features, and testing effort.
WHAT TO BASE THE DECISION ON
Your own analytics, not general figures.
WHAT A MINIMUM APPLICATION VERSION ENFORCES
That very old clients must update before continuing.
WHY THAT MATTERS
You cannot maintain backward compatibility indefinitely.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT
The backend reporting the minimum, and the application prompting.
WHAT TO PROVIDE IN THAT PROMPT
A clear explanation and a direct link to update.
WHAT TO AVOID
Forcing an update without warning Blocking users with no route to update
WHAT TO ANNOUNCE IN ADVANCE
The end of support for a version.
WHAT TO KEEP WORKING AS LONG AS PRACTICAL
Anything users have paid for.
