xDrip watch app can't install on up to date pixel watch 2

[guydavies]

I'm using the latest nightly image (23 March) and have an updated Pixel2 watch but when I try to sideload the latest watch update it says that the version 24 is required and the watch is version 23 (not sure if that's true). The auto update has never worked for me so I need to use Wear Installer 2 which has worked fine so far but this time nothing works. Unfortunately that leaves xDrip in a cycle of trying (and failing) to update which kills the battery of both devices.

[guydavies]

Hi, since no one has responded, I can add some more details.

I'm using a Pixel 7 phone running Android 15, with CamAPS FX as a companion app to xDrip+. I have a Pixel Watch2, which has the update from 5 March 2025 installed.

The actual Error taken from the phone, when I try to sideload using Wear Installer 2 is:

Error: adb: failed to install /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/org.freepoc.wearinstaller2/files/extracted_wear.apk: Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_DEPRECATED_SDK_VERSION: App package must target at least SDK version 24, but found 23]
Performing Streamed Install

So it looks like it may be due to the update of the watch to the 5 March 2025 release, which has caused the app to no longer meet the minimum target requirements for the SDK version. I'm not sure if this is resolvable without causing other users issues. Please just let me know. I don't think downgrading the watch is an option I particularly want to follow.

[Navid200]

@PhilTU

[guydavies]

Thanks @Navid200. I found a note on reddit suggesting to use adb install --bypass-low-target-sdk-block FILENAME.apk but I don't see a way in Wear Installer 2 to enable that. I'll ping the author of that app to see if he can add that option, which would potentially bypass the issue.

[guydavies]

Hi all. Malcolm Bryant at Freepoc.org has updated Wear Installer 2 to fall back to try --bypass-low-target-sdk-block if it detects that the SDK version is unsupported. It works for now on my Pixel Watch 2 but he did warn that Google is making it harder to sideload watch faces onto Wear OS devices. He was able to get the apk to install on the Pixel Watch 3 but couldn't select the xDrip+ watch face.