ApacheCon Maven

HttpClient for Android

Google Android 1.0 was released with a pre-BETA snapshot of Apache HttpClient. To coincide with the first Android release Apache HttpClient 4.0 APIs had to be frozen prematurely, while many of interfaces and internal structures were still not fully worked out. As Apache HttpClient 4.0 was maturing the project was expecting Google to incorporate the latest code improvements into their code tree. Unfortunately it did not happen. Version of Apache HttpClient shipped with Android has effectively become a fork.

Eventually Google decided to discontinue further development of their fork while refusing to upgrade to the stock version of Apache HttpClient citing compatibility concerns as a reason for such decision. Google completely removed their fork of Apache HttpClient from Android in version 8.0 (API 26) only.

Those users who want to continue using Apache HttpClient on Android are advised to consider

  • Apache HttpCLient 5.0 stock version, which works well with Android API 19 and newer

    dependencies {
    compile group: 'org.apache.httpcomponents.client5' , name: 'httpclient5' , version: '5.0.3'
}

  • Apache HttpClient packages for Android maintained by Marek Sebera when targeting Android API 23 and newer

    dependencies {
    compile group: 'cz.msebera.android' , name: 'httpclient', version: '4.5.3'
}

  • Android extensions for Apache HttpClient 4.5 when targeting Android API 26 or newer.

    Android extensions for Apache HttpClient provide a replacement for the default HostnameVerifier implementation incompatible with Android and provide a builder for PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager instances optimized for Android called AndroidHttpClientConnectionManagerBuilder.

    dependencies {
    api 'com.github.ok2c.hc4.android:httpclient-android:0.1.0'
}