A mobile game can raise its minimum Android or iOS version even while it still works today. The change may arrive with a season update, and an older phone can lose the update button or disappear from the store. Treat the publisher’s cutoff as a migration deadline, not a reason to install an unofficial APK.
Separate the current requirement from the announced one
Read the publisher’s dated notice carefully. For example, EA’s official FC Mobile requirements page currently lists iOS 13 and Android 6, while warning that a fall update will raise the baselines to iOS 15 and Android 7. The current app can still open before the cutoff, but the next required client may not install.
Record four facts: the effective date, new OS minimum, any excluded processors or GPUs, and whether the publisher promises account continuity. Do not rewrite an announced requirement as if it already applies.
Check the exact phone, not just the model family
On Android, open Settings, then About phone or About tablet, and note the Android version, security update and build number. Check System > Software update for the newest signed release offered by the manufacturer. Similar phone names can use different chipsets in different regions.
Google Play’s app page shows compatibility for active devices linked to the Google Account. A device can be excluded by OS version, screen, chipset, carrier or region. If the store says a phone is incompatible, disabling Play Protect or downloading a package elsewhere does not add the missing hardware or signed system support.
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings > General > Software Update. Apple recommends backing up before updating and notes that not every software feature is available on every device. Confirm the specific device can receive the required iOS or iPadOS release.
Link progress while the game still opens
- Open the current official client and confirm the correct player profile.
- Use the publisher’s documented account link, cloud save or transfer function.
- Verify the email, platform account or recovery method is still accessible.
- Record the non-secret player ID and current support route.
- If possible, sign in on another supported device and confirm the same progress before deleting anything.
Never share a password, recovery link, transfer code, authentication code or full receipt. Keep temporary transfer codes offline and remove them after a successful move. See our account security guide for a recovery checklist.
Back up the phone, but know its limits
Apple recommends an iCloud or computer backup before a system update. Android backup options vary by manufacturer and account. A device backup helps with settings and supported app data, but it does not guarantee restoration of a server game, guest account or title that forbids local save copying.
For important games, write down which system actually holds progress: publisher account, Game Center, Google Play Games, Facebook, a one-use transfer code or device-only storage. A generic backup icon is not proof that the latest game state was uploaded.
Create free space without erasing the game
Operating-system and game updates both need temporary unpacking space. Remove downloaded videos or other replaceable files first. Avoid clearing game storage, deleting the app or using a cleaner that cannot distinguish cache from save data.
Use trusted Wi-Fi, connect to power if the device maker recommends it, and finish the OS update before downloading a large game client. Our large game update guide covers the storage sequence.
If the phone cannot receive the new OS
Do not root the phone, flash an unknown ROM or install a modified game merely to pass a version check. Besides security and account risks, an unsupported GPU, CPU instruction set or memory limit can remain. Google notes that a Play Protect certification problem is separate from Play Protect itself; turning protection off does not certify the device.
Keep using the current client only as long as the publisher allows and the account is protected. Plan a supported device move before the deadline. Compare the official supported-device list, OS update policy, RAM, storage and chipset—not only a seller’s claim that the phone is a gaming model.
After the update
- Install the game only from its official store page.
- Confirm the publisher, package and version.
- Sign in through the documented account route.
- Check progress, purchases and settings before removing the old device.
- Re-enable purchase verification and review notification permissions.
If progress is missing, stop playing on the empty profile and contact the publisher through the official support page. Starting a new save or linking the wrong account can complicate recovery.
Editorial review: 1 September 2026. Minimum requirements and device lists can change; use the live publisher notice and official store compatibility result for each game.