If you bought your Android phone anytime after 2019, it’s almost certainly 64-bit. Google has required all new apps on the Play Store to include 64-bit support since 2019, and newer phones starting with the Pixel 7 in 2022 have begun dropping 32-bit support entirely. You can confirm yours in under a minute using the steps below.
What Does “64-Bit” Mean on an Android Phone?
64-bit refers to how your phone’s processor and operating system handle data — specifically, how much information they can process in a single instruction.
Think of it like a highway. A 32-bit phone has narrower lanes: it can only move a certain amount of data at once. A 64-bit phone has wider lanes — it moves twice the data per “trip,” which means faster processing, access to more memory, and stronger security protections.
Nearly every phone on shelves today is 64-bit. The real question people are usually asking is one of these three things:
- Is my specific phone 64-bit?
- Can it still run older 32-bit apps?
- Is it one of the newer “64-bit-only” phones that can’t run 32-bit apps at all?
We’ll answer all three.
How to Check If Your Android Phone Is 64-Bit
You don’t need to guess. Here’s the fastest way to check, no extra app required:
- Open Settings on your phone.
- Scroll down and tap About phone.
- Tap Software information (on some phones this is a separate screen; on others it’s part of “About phone”).
- Look for the Kernel version. If it includes “64” or “aarch64” in the string, your phone is 64-bit.
If you don’t see it listed there, a free app like AIDA64 or CPU-Z from the Play Store will show your Instruction Set or CPU architecture directly on the “CPU” or “System” tab look for arm64-v8a (64-bit) versus armeabi-v7a (32-bit).
Shopping for a new phone instead? Check the manufacturer’s spec sheet or listing for the chipset name (like Snapdragon or Dimensity) and search that virtually every mainstream chipset released since 2018 is 64-bit.
32-Bit vs. 64-Bit vs. “64-Bit-Only” Android
These three terms get mixed up constantly, and it’s the single biggest source of confusion online. Here’s the clean breakdown:
| 32-bit | 64-bit | 64-bit-only | |
| Can run 64-bit apps? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Can run 32-bit apps? | Yes | Yes | No |
| RAM handling | Limited | Improved | Improved |
| Security (ASLR, control-flow integrity) | Weaker | Stronger | Strongest |
| Example devices | Phones from ~2014 and earlier | Most phones 2015–2022 | Pixel 7 and newer, most 2023+ flagships |
The key distinction: a “64-bit” phone is usually backward-compatible; it can still run old 32-bit apps. A “64-bit-only” phone has dropped that backward compatibility entirely, which is a newer and more aggressive shift.
Which Phones Are 64-Bit-Only?
This is where most existing guides fall behind, because the landscape has moved fast.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, released in 2022, were the first Android phones built to run only 64-bit apps, dropping 32-bit OS support entirely to save memory, improve performance, and tighten security.
That was just the start. As of 2026, this is no longer a Pixel-only quirk. Google’s own developer documentation confirms that starting with Android 14, devices using newer ARMv9-based chip cores can no longer run 32-bit-only code at all; the hardware itself doesn’t support it. That means a growing share of 2024–2026 flagship and mid-range phones from Samsung, Google, and other major brands are now effectively 64-bit-only at the chip level, not just the OS level.
What this means for you: if you own a phone released in the last two to three years, there’s a real chance any 32-bit-only app or older game you’ve been holding onto simply won’t install not because of a settings issue, but because the hardware no longer supports it.
Why 64-Bit Matters: Speed, Security, and RAM
According to Google’s own Android Developers Blog, dropping 32-bit support delivers three concrete benefits:
- Performance: 64-bit apps get access to more CPU registers and instructions unavailable to 32-bit apps, and some newer chips run up to 25% faster in 64-bit mode.
- Security: A larger address space makes protections like ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) more effective, making it harder for attackers to exploit a device.
- Memory savings: Removing 32-bit support can free up roughly 150MB of RAM that would otherwise be reserved for 32-bit compatibility even if you never ran a 32-bit app.
What Happens If an App Isn’t 64-Bit?
If you’re on a 64-bit-only phone and try to install or open an app that was built only for 32-bit architecture, one of two things happens:
- It won’t install at all on the Play Store or your device will block it outright.
- It installs but crashes on launch this usually happens with older sideloaded APKs or games that haven’t been updated in years.
If this happens with a Play Store app, the fix is usually simple: check for an update, since most active developers pushed 64-bit-compatible versions years ago. If it’s an abandoned app or an old game with no active developer, there typically isn’t a fix the app has effectively reached end-of-life on that hardware.
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The Myth Most Sites Get Wrong
Here’s something worth clearing up, because it trips up a lot of existing guides on this topic: a phone’s chipset being “64-bit capable” is not the same as the phone actually running 64-bit software.
Some manufacturers, particularly in budget devices, shipped phones with 64-bit-capable chips but 32-bit operating system builds, in order to save on RAM and storage costs. That means a device list based purely on the chipset can mislabel a phone as “64-bit” when the actual software running on it isn’t. This is why checking your kernel version directly, rather than looking up your chipset online, is the more reliable method the kernel reflects what your phone is actually running, not just what the hardware is theoretically capable of.
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Conclusion
Knowing whether your Android phone is 64-bit is increasingly important as more apps and Android updates require 64-bit support. Fortunately, you can check your device using built-in settings or a trusted hardware information app in just a few minutes. If your phone is still running a 32-bit operating system, upgrading to a newer 64-bit device will ensure better app compatibility, improved performance, and longer software support.
FAQs
Is my Android phone 64-bit or 32-bit?
Most Android phones made since 2019 are 64-bit. Check by going to Settings → About phone → Software information → Kernel version; if it shows “64” or “aarch64,” your phone is 64-bit.
Are all Android phones 64-bit now?
Nearly all current phones are 64-bit, but not all are “64-bit-only.” Some newer flagships, starting with the Pixel 7, have dropped 32-bit support entirely.
Can a 64-bit Android phone run 32-bit apps?
Yes, as long as it isn’t a “64-bit-only” device. Regular 64-bit phones remain backward-compatible with 32-bit apps; 64-bit-only phones are not.
What happens if I try to install a 32-bit app on a 64-bit-only phone?
The app either fails to install or crashes on launch, since the phone’s hardware and OS no longer support 32-bit code.
Which was the first 64-bit-only Android phone?
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, released in 2022, were the first Android phones built to support only 64-bit apps.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for general informational purposes only. Specifications, features, and phone models may change over time. Always verify details with the official manufacturer or trusted sources before making any purchasing decisions.
