Deprecation and sunset

With the release of a new major Google Mobile Ads SDK version, earlier major versions may be given a sunset date. After an SDK version is sunset, ad traffic from that version is at risk of receiving automatic no fill due to stopped ad serving.

Benefits of a deprecation schedule

Introducing a predictable deprecation schedule offers the following benefits:

  • Ability to predict and plan for SDK updates with a year of lead time.
  • Legacy SDK code that only exists to support old versions can be deleted, thereby decreasing SDK size and lowering the risk of bugs.
  • Engineering resources can focus more on support for newer SDKs and innovation of new SDK features.

Timetable

The following table lists the specific deprecation and sunset dates for each Google Mobile Ads SDK for Flutter version.

Versions Status Release date Deprecation date Sunset date Migration guide
5.x.x Supported March 20, 2024 Q1 2026 Q2 2027
v3.0.0 - 4.0.0 Supported April 24, 2023 Q1 2025 Q2 2026
v2.0.0 - 2.4.0 Deprecated August 3, 2022 February 6, 2024 Q2 2025 1 Get started
v0.13.0 - 1.3.0 Sunset May 18, 2021 March 29, 2023 June 30, 2024 Get started
v0.0.1 - v0.12.2+1 Sunset March 3, 2021 September 30, 2022 June 30, 2023 Get started

1 A more specific sunset date will be announced on the Google Ads Developer blog, and updated on this page with two months notice.

Differences between supported, deprecated, and sunset

Term Supported Deprecated Sunset
SDK Versions All releases that depend on an Android and iOS Google Mobile Ads SDK version with major release N or N-1, where N is the latest respective Android or iOS major version. All releases that depend on an Android or iOS Google Mobile Ads SDK version with major release N-2. All releases that depend on an Android or iOS Google Mobile Ads SDK version with major release N-3 or below. Releases with a dependency on an N-3 major version will sunset approximately two months after the major version N dependency is released.
Ad serving Ads serve to this version. Ads serve to this version. Ads at risk of not serving to this version. We will regularly review usage of all sunset versions going forward to consider disabling ad serving. The oldest versions with lower usage and higher maintenance costs will be targeted first. When ad serving is disabled, ad requests return a no fill with an error indicating that this version is sunset.
Support Technical SDK support questions are welcomed on the Google Mobile Ads SDK for Flutter issue tracker. Technical SDK support questions specific to this version are no longer supported on the Google Mobile Ads SDK for Flutter issue tracker. You will be asked to validate the issue in a supported version to receive full support. Technical SDK support questions specific to this version are no longer supported on the Google Mobile Ads SDK for Flutter issue tracker. You will be asked to validate the issue in a supported version to receive full support.

Exceptions

This deprecation schedule provides a framework for predictable lifetimes for an SDK version. However, there may be exceptions in the future. This schedule does not preclude us from sunsetting an SDK version at an earlier date, but we are committed to providing proactive communication with ample lead time for any future changes.