Originally published on AppRanker .

If Play Console is showing you "DEX code optimization is below our threshold" next to something like "Obfuscation 2%", your release build almost certainly isn't running R8 at all. That is the default for several cross-platform templates, and from February 2027 it starts to matter. Below is what Google is measuring, which stacks ship with R8 off, and a release-safe way to switch it on.

What the warning is actually measuring

On August 26, 2026, Google Play announced new technical quality thresholds that take effect in February 2027.…