In order to provide users with the best Android experience possible, the Google Play Console will continue to require that apps target a recent API level:
August 2019: New apps are required to target API level 28 (Android 9) or higher.
November 2019: Updates to existing apps are required to target API level 28 or higher.
So what this actually means is that every year they are gonna keep bumping this up. so that means everything will need to be kept up to date, unlike the past when google let alot of things slide.
This also means B4A's codebase needs to take this new policy into account, if it hasn't already with the SDK26 debacle.
This also makes me wonder about their future plans on the "minimum sdk level", but that would only lead to speculation.
The requirements for setting targetSdkVersion to 28 are quite simple to meet. The next version of B4A, which is mostly ready, will make it easier to meet these requirements. It will also be possible to meet these requirements with previous versions of B4A.
The tutorial will be updated with instructions related to the new version.