As of January 2026, Google Mobile Ads Lite SDK is
[deprecated](https://developers.google.com/admob/android/deprecation.md.txt#differences). For continued support,
migrate to GMA Next-Gen SDK. GMA Next-Gen SDK
has a smaller size on device than the full Google Mobile Ads SDK (Legacy). For
details, see
[Learn the benefits of GMA Next-Gen SDK](https://developers.google.com/admob/android/next-gen/migration/benefits.md.txt).

Like any Android library, the Google Play services SDK increases the size of
apps that include it. The Google Mobile Ads Lite SDK is a lightweight version
of Google Mobile Ads SDK (Legacy) built to reduce that impact. It is a fraction of
the size of the regular SDK.

Alongside reduced size, using the Lite SDK decreases the total number of
methods referenced in an app. This is especially useful when deploying to older
versions of Android, where developers can run into the [64K reference
limit](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/multidex).

Here's how to configure gradle to incorporate the Lite SDK into your app:

    dependencies {
        implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-lite:25.0.0'
    }

### Limitations of the Lite SDK

The Lite SDK should only be used in apps distributed through the
Google Play store.

Unlike other [Google Play services](https://developers.google.com/android/guides/overview.md.txt), the standard
Google Mobile Ads SDK (Legacy) implementation in the Google Play services APK is also
included in the Google Play services client library. This allows for support on
devices without the Google Play services APK. At runtime, the SDK will compare
the versions of the client library and the Google Play services APK and use the
newer version.

The Lite SDK strips Google Mobile Ads SDK (Legacy) implementation from the client
library, leaving only an interface to the Google Play services APK. The Lite
SDK relies on the implementation of the APK. If you deploy your app outside of
the Google Play store, it is not guaranteed that your user's devices will have
the Google Play services APK installed.

On devices with an up-to-date version of Google Play services, the Lite SDK's
behavior is identical to that of the standard SDK. However, on devices where
Google Play services is outdated or not present, the Lite SDK may reference
APIs that are unavailable or have been changed from those in the Google Play
services APK. This will result in a no-op and an error being logged, which may
cause ads not to serve to those devices.

## Lite SDK release cadence

Starting with version 24.1.0, the `play-services-ads-lite`
artifact stops releasing at the same cadence as `play-services-ads`. This
change allows for a more gradual and stable rollout of the SDK implementation.
The Lite SDK releases approximately every third SDK release.

Projects that depend on both `play-services-ads-lite` version 24.0.0 or lower
and `play-services-ads` version 24.1.0 or higher encounter a `Duplicate class`
error during app compilation. Resolve this error by using only one of the
`play-services-ads` or `play-services-ads-lite` artifacts.