Android - deprecated method and minApiLevel

Question

Similar questions have been asked, but the provided answers did not really help me.

Say I'm using a deprecated method and my minApiLevel is X. The suggested replacement of the deprecated method has api level Y.

What should I do when Y > X (and I can't or don't want to increase X)? As a rule of thumb (if there's one), can I safely ignore this (meaning it will never work unexpectedly on Android versions where the method's deprecated), or should I rather implement both variants and put them in an if-else depending on the SDK version? (Assuming I'm satisfied with the functionality of the old deprecated method.)

Answer 1

When an element is marked as deprecated, an alternative will generally be offered, and therefore both variants must be implemented, using if/else branching for the newer and older API levels.

It is bad practice and discouraged to keep using deprecated elements. In addition consider that it may eventually no longer work and be removed in future API levels, forcing to revisit and rewrite your implementation.

A program element annotated @Deprecated is one that programmers are discouraged from using, typically because it is dangerous, or because a better alternative exists. Compilers warn when a deprecated program element is used or overridden in non-deprecated code.

https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/Deprecated#:~:text=A%20program%20element%20annotated%20%40Deprecated,overridden%20in%20non%2Ddeprecated%20code.

What happens if continuing to use Deprecated elements:

• Your code will continue working as it is, until the element is removed from the SDK at a future API level, or, the SDK developers decide to drop its functionality, meaning that it will not work at all.
• You will have to keep track of all your deprecated usages, and test if still work in each new API level release.
• If there is a bug in the deprecated element, not always will get fixed by the SDK developers, which they may mark as obsolete when there are alternatives. Note that a bug in the SDK implies that a patch is required in the OS, which not all vendors will provide to their users.