AI Migration Agent Instructions for the Google Mobile Ads SDK

SkillDev tools

Migrates Android applications from the old, legacy Google Mobile Ads (GMA) SDK (com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads) to the new GMA Next-Gen SDK (com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk:ads-mobile-sdk). Provides comprehensive mapping tables for imports, classes, and method signatures to help determine migration steps. Use when migrating an existing Android codebase from the old, legacy GMA SDK to GMA Next-Gen SDK.

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Then ask your AI: use the AI Migration Agent Instructions for the Google Mobile Ads SDK skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by hermesonehq/hermes-registry in skills/domain/google-mobile-ads-android-migrate-to-next-gen/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Migration Workflow

Use this checklist to track your migration progress:

  • Configure Gradle:
    • Replace com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads with the latest stable version of com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk:ads-mobile-sdk. If you cannot access Maven directly, run the following command to fetch the latest version. The version returned in the latest tag is the latest version of the GMA Next-Gen SDK:

      curl -sS https://dl.google.com/dl/android/maven2/com/google/android/libraries/ads/mobile/sdk/ads-mobile-sdk/maven-metadata.xml | sed -n 's/.*<latest>\(.*\)<\/latest>.*/\1/p'
      
    • Update minSdk (24+) and compileSdk (34+).

    • Exclude play-services-ads and play-services-ads-lite from all dependencies globally in the app-level build file to avoid duplicate symbol errors.

    • Sync Gradle before moving on to the next step.

  • Per-File Migration:
    • Refactor the codebase following the API Mapping and Method Mapping tables to migrate imports, class names, and method signature to GMA Next-Gen SDK.
  • Verify and Build:
    • Run gradle build -x test to confirm a successful clean build. Resolve any GMA SDK related compile errors.

Core Migration Rules

  • App ID Usage: Always use the value of the com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID meta-data tag from AndroidManifest.xml for the applicationId in InitializationConfig.
    • Constraint: Preserve the <meta-data> tag in the manifest; it is still required for publishers using the User Messaging Platform SDK.
  • Initialization Sequence:
    1. Call MobileAds.initialize() on a background thread.
    2. Ensure initialize() is called before any other SDK methods.
    3. If using RequestConfiguration, bundle it into InitializationConfig.Builder.setRequestConfiguration(). Do not call MobileAds.setRequestConfiguration() before initialization.
  • UI Threading: MANDATORY: Callbacks in GMA-Next Gen SDK are invoked on a background thread. ALL UI-RELATED OPERATIONS (e.g., Toasts, View updates, Fragment transactions) MUST be wrapped in runOnUiThread {} or Dispatchers.Main.launch {} within GMA SDK callbacks. SKIPPING THIS STEP WILL CAUSE THE APPLICATION TO CRASH.
  • Mediation: Classes implementing com.google.android.gms.ads.mediation.Adapter MUST continue using com.google.android.gms.ads.

Format Specifics

Banner Ads

  • Use com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.banner.AdView for loading GMA Next-Gen SDK banners.
  • The following API checks if a banner is collapsible: adView.getBannerAd().isCollapsible().

Native Ads

  • NativeAdLoader: NativeAdLoader is abstract and cannot be instantiated. It is used statically (e.g., NativeAdLoader.load(...)).
  • The following APIs are now set on the NativeAdRequest.Builder:
    • .setCustomFormatIds(customFormatIds: List<String>)
    • .disableImageDownloading()
    • .setMediaAspectRatio(mediaAspectRatio: NativeMediaAspectRatio)
    • .setAdChoicesPlacement(adChoicesPlacement: AdChoicesPlacement)
    • .setVideoOptions(videoOptions: VideoOptions)
  • Removal: Delete all "Mute This Ad" logic; it is unsupported in GMA Next-Gen SDK.
  • MediaView: NativeAd no longer has a direct mediaView variable; use registerNativeAd(nativeAd, mediaView) to associate the ad with the view.

Ad preloading

  • Unless specified in the mapping table, ad preloading methods in the GMA Next-Gen SDK retain the same API signatures and parameters as the Old SDK.

API Mapping

This table covers the main classes and their GMA Next-Gen SDK equivalents.

FeatureOld SDK Import (com.google.android.gms.ads...)GMA Next-Gen SDK Import (com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk... )
Core
InitializationMobileAdsMobileAds, initialization.InitializationConfig
Initialization Listenerinitialization.OnInitializationCompleteListenerinitialization.OnAdapterInitializationCompleteListener
Ad RequestAdRequestFormat specific (e.g. common.AdRequest, banner.BannerAdRequest, nativead.NativeAdRequest) (Ad Unit ID is declared in Builder. Load() no longer takes an activity)
Load ErrorLoadAdErrorcommon.LoadAdError (LoadAdError no longer has a domain variable. REMOVE the domain variable if found.)
Full Screen Show ErrorAdError (within FullScreenContentCallback)common.FullScreenContentError (within format-specific AdEventCallback)
Request ConfigurationRequestConfigurationcommon.RequestConfiguration (Nested Enums/Constants for RequestConfiguration are now under common.RequestConfiguration.)
Event CallbacksFullScreenContentCallback (for full screen formats), AdListener (Banner, Native)Format Specific (e.g., interstitial.InterstitialAdEventCallback, banner.BannerAdEventCallback, native.NativeAdEventCallback). Variable on the ad format is adEventCallback.
Tools
Ad InspectorMobileAds.openAdInspector()MobileAds.openAdInspector() (openAdInspector no longer takes an activity)
Ad Inspector ListenerOnAdInspectorClosedListenercommon.OnAdInspectorClosedListener
Formats
App Openappopen.AppOpenAdappopen.AppOpenAd
App Open Loadappopen.AppOpenAd.AppOpenAdLoadCallbackcommon.AdLoadCallback<appopen.AppOpenAd>
BannerAdView, AdSizebanner.AdView, banner.AdSize (AdView no longer has pause(), resume(), setAdSize()). AdSize is declared in BannerAdRequest.
Banner LoadAdListenercommon.AdLoadCallback<banner.BannerAd>
Banner EventsAdListenerbanner.BannerAdEventCallback, banner.BannerAdRefreshCallback
Interstitialinterstitial.InterstitialAdinterstitial.InterstitialAd
Interstitial Loadinterstitial.InterstitialAd.InterstitialAdLoadCallbackcommon.AdLoadCallback<interstitial.InterstitialAd>
Ad LoaderAdLoadernativead.NativeAdLoader
Nativenativead.NativeAdnativead.NativeAd (No longer has a mediaView variable)
Native Custom Format Adnativead.NativeCustomFormatAdnativead.CustomNativeAd
Native Custom Clicknativead.NativeCustomFormatAd.OnCustomClickListenernativead.OnCustomClickListener (set on the CustomNativeAd object (e.g., .onCustomClickListener)
Native Loadnativead.NativeAd.OnNativeAdLoadedListenernativead.NativeAdLoaderCallback
Native Ad Viewnativead.NativeAdViewnativead.NativeAdView
Media ContentMediaContentnativead.MediaContent (hasVideoContent is declared as a val)
Media Aspect RatioMediaAspectRationativead.MediaAspectRatio
Video OptionsVideoOptionscommon.VideoOptions
Video ControllerVideoControllercommon.VideoController (VideoLifecycleCallbacks is now an interface, so instantiate with object : VideoController.VideoLifecycleCallbacks { ... })
Rewardedrewarded.RewardedAdrewarded.RewardedAd
Rewarded Loadrewarded.RewardedAd.RewardedAdLoadCallbackcommon.AdLoadCallback<rewarded.RewardedAd>
Rewarded Interstitialrewardedinterstitial.RewardedInterstitialAdrewardedinterstitial.RewardedInterstitialAd
Rewarded Interstitial Loadrewardedinterstitial.RewardedInterstitialAd.RewardedInterstitialAdLoadCallbackcommon.AdLoadCallback<rewardedinterstitial.RewardedInterstitialAd>
Paid Event ListenerOnPaidEventListenercommon.AdEventCallback
Response InfoResponseInfocommon.ResponseInfo
Adapter Response InfoAdapterResponseInfocommon.AdSourceResponseInfo
Rewards
Reward ListenerOnUserEarnedRewardListenerrewarded.OnUserEarnedRewardListener
Reward Itemrewarded.RewardItemrewarded.RewardItem (property access on RewardedAd and RewardedInterstitialAd is now getRewardItem())
Ad ValueAdValuecommon.AdValue
Preloading
Configurationpreload.PreloadConfigurationcommon.PreloadConfiguration
Callbackpreload.PreloadCallbackV2common.PreloadCallback (Now an interface instead of an abstract class)
Interstitial Preloaderinterstitial.InterstitialPreloaderinterstitial.InterstitialAdPreloader
Ad Manager
Ad Requestadmanager.AdManagerAdRequestcommon.AdRequest (Now directly implemented in the AdRequest class)
Ad Viewadmanager.AdViewbanner.AdView (No AdManagerAdView class)
App Event Listeneradmanager.AppEventListenercommon.OnAppEventListener

Method Mapping

This table covers the main methods and their GMA Next-Gen SDK equivalents.

Shortened here. Read the whole file on GitHub.

Signals

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Last commit
Jul 2026

ahel review

  • S4info
    community integration, published by hermesonehq, not google

Automated review, not a security audit. Ruleset v1+k2.

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Item type
skill
Key
google-mobile-ads-android-migrate-to-next-gen
Source
github.com/hermesonehq/hermes-registry