diff --git a/app/build.gradle.kts b/app/build.gradle.kts
index 6cc80159130..268d5249a7c 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -157,6 +157,14 @@ android {
         resValues = true
     }
 
+    packaging {
+        jniLibs {
+            // Enables legacy JNI packaging to reduce APK size (similar to builds before minSdk 23).
+            // Note: This may increase app startup time slightly.
+            useLegacyPackaging = true
+        }
+    }
+
     namespace = "com.lagradost.cloudstream3"
 }
 
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index 8e22a64b2f9..695f7e2fec0 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ workRuntimeKtx = "2.10.5"
 
 jvmTarget = "1.8"
 jdkToolchain = "17"
-minSdk = "21"
+minSdk = "23"
 compileSdk = "36"
 targetSdk = "36"