For the first time, the Google Pixel 7 series ships only with 64-bit apps. However, what if you need to run 32-bit applications?
Prerequisite
- On the Pixel 7 series, developers have created solutions to enable 32-bit app support.
- You need to root your phone to perform these tricks.
Use 32-bit apps on your Pixel 7 (unofficially).
There are two solutions available in recent days that can bring 32-bit support to the Pixel 7 series phones (h/t: XDA-Developers and r/Android). Magisk Delta and Pixel 7 32-bit helper are these solutions.
It involves flipping a switch for 32-bit support in the Magisk rooting software tool. In the Pixel 7 firmware, Google disabled 32-bit support rather than removing it altogether. Additionally, the Tensor G2 processor still supports 32-bit operations.
For these solutions to work, your Pixel 7 series phone must be rooted. Thus, if you don’t have any experience with system tinkering of this type, you might want to avoid it. The workarounds aren’t exactly polished, so you might run into issues in the future.
It’s still great to see 32-bit support (unofficially) returning to the Pixel 7. The vast majority of Play Store apps do indeed offer 64-bit versions, so most people shouldn’t have any issues using a 64-bit-only phone. You’ll want to check this out if you want to play abandoned games, install niche apps, or run older apps from third-party repositories.