How to install an older version of an Android app
Why you might want to go back to an older version, how to do it without losing data, and the signature rule that decides whether it works.
Sometimes a new version is worse than the one before: a feature you used is gone, the app became slow on your phone, it asks for new permissions you do not want, or it simply crashes. Installing an older version fixes that.
Before you start
- Back up your data. Many apps have an export or backup option in their settings. Android does not let you install an older version over a newer one, so you usually have to uninstall first, which deletes the app's data.
- Read the "What's new" section of the versions in between. It tells you which version removed the feature or introduced the problem.
- Check the permission changes on the version page: we list the permissions added and removed compared with the previous version.
Steps
- Open the app page and choose the version you want from the All versions table.
- Check Minimum Android: the version must support your Android version.
- Back up your data, then uninstall the current version.
- Download and install the older APK (see How to install an APK).
- Restore your data from the backup.
The signature rule
Android only installs an app over another copy of the same app if both are signed with the same key. When the version page shows The signing certificate changed in this version, you cannot update between that version and the previous one without uninstalling.
Security
Old versions do not receive security fixes. Prefer the newest version that works for you, and avoid versions marked with a known vulnerability.