diff --git a/.github/workflows/of.yml b/.github/workflows/of.yml
index f821702a1a9..e596ed3b8b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/of.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/of.yml
@@ -453,7 +453,10 @@ jobs:
       TARGET: ${{ matrix.cfg.target }}
       ARCH: ${{ matrix.cfg.opt }}
       ANDROID_SDK_ROOT: $ANDROID_HOME
-      ANDROID_NDK_ROOT: $ANDROID_NDK_LATEST_HOME
+      # keep in sync with apothecary build-android.yml (NDK r29, min API 25);
+      # cmake.sh resolves $ANDROID_HOME/ndk/$NDK, gradle uses ndkVersion
+      NDK: "29.0.14206865"
+      ANDROID_API: "25"
 
     steps:
       - name: checkout openFrameworks
diff --git a/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/CMake/toolchain/android.toolchain.cmake b/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/CMake/toolchain/android.toolchain.cmake
index 868716f4ede..0fc80a37a5d 100644
--- a/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/CMake/toolchain/android.toolchain.cmake
+++ b/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/CMake/toolchain/android.toolchain.cmake
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ if(NOT DEFINED HOST_PLATFORM)
     else()
         message(FATAL_ERROR "Unsupported host platform: ${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_NAME} (${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR})")
     endif()
+    # NDKs up to at least r29 ship only darwin-x86_64 (universal binaries) and
+    # linux-x86_64; use an arm64 host folder only when the NDK actually has one.
+    if(NOT EXISTS "${ANDROID_NDK_ROOT}/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/${HOST_PLATFORM}")
+        string(REPLACE "-arm64" "-x86_64" HOST_PLATFORM_FALLBACK "${HOST_PLATFORM}")
+        if(EXISTS "${ANDROID_NDK_ROOT}/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt/${HOST_PLATFORM_FALLBACK}")
+            set(HOST_PLATFORM "${HOST_PLATFORM_FALLBACK}")
+        endif()
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 message(STATUS "Android ABI: ${ANDROID_ABI}")
diff --git a/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/cmake.sh b/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/cmake.sh
index 02bf05db114..5562018f888 100755
--- a/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/cmake.sh
+++ b/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/cmake.sh
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ APOTHECARY_LEVEL="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
 export MAKE_TARGET="${MAKE_TARGET:-cmake}"
 export CPP_STANDARD="${CPP_STANDARD:-23}"
 export C_STANDARD="${C_STANDARD:-17}"
-export NDK_VERSION_MAJOR="${NDK_VERSION_MAJOR:-27}"
-export ANDROID_API="${ANDROID_API:-34}" #minimum Android API supported. 34 default
-ANDROID_PLATFORM="android-34" # Usually must be >= 24 for modern libraries and NDKs.
+# Keep in sync with apothecary (.github/workflows/build-android.yml, configure/android_configure.sh)
+export NDK="${NDK:-29.0.14206865}" # pinned NDK (major.minor.build) under $ANDROID_SDK_PATH/ndk
+export NDK_VERSION_MAJOR="${NDK_VERSION_MAJOR:-${NDK%%.*}}"
+export ANDROID_API="${ANDROID_API:-25}" # min compile API (Android 7.1). Not the SDK version.
+ANDROID_PLATFORM="android-${ANDROID_API}"
 DEFAULT_ARCHS="armeabi-v7a arm64-v8a x86_64"
 TOOLCHAIN_FILE="$(pwd)/../CMake/toolchain/android.toolchain.cmake"
 CMAKELISTS_DIR="$(pwd)/openframeworksAndroid"
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ else
 fi
 if [[ "$OS_TYPE" == "macOS" ]]; then
     echo "Running on macOS"
-    export ANDROID_SDK_PATH="$HOME/Library/Android/sdk"
+    export ANDROID_SDK_PATH="${ANDROID_HOME:-${ANDROID_SDK_ROOT:-$HOME/Library/Android/sdk}}"
 elif [[ "$OS_TYPE" == "Windows" ]]; then
     echo "Running on Windows (Git Bash)"
     WIN_USER=$(whoami)
@@ -63,13 +65,23 @@ else
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# Find latest NDK inside the SDK directory
-ANDROID_NDK_PATH=$(ls -d "$ANDROID_SDK_PATH/ndk/"* 2>/dev/null | sort -V | tail -n 1)
-export ANDROID_NDK_ROOT=$ANDROID_NDK_PATH
+# NDK: the pinned $NDK under the SDK, else ANDROID_NDK_ROOT / ANDROID_NDK_HOME.
+# Never fall back to "newest folder" silently: a newer or half-installed NDK
+# (no source.properties) builds a core that doesn't match the apothecary libs.
+ANDROID_NDK_PATH=""
+if [ -f "$ANDROID_SDK_PATH/ndk/$NDK/source.properties" ]; then
+    ANDROID_NDK_PATH="$ANDROID_SDK_PATH/ndk/$NDK"
+elif [ -n "${ANDROID_NDK_ROOT:-}" ] && [ -f "$ANDROID_NDK_ROOT/source.properties" ]; then
+    ANDROID_NDK_PATH="$ANDROID_NDK_ROOT"
+elif [ -n "${ANDROID_NDK_HOME:-}" ] && [ -f "$ANDROID_NDK_HOME/source.properties" ]; then
+    ANDROID_NDK_PATH="$ANDROID_NDK_HOME"
+fi
 if [ -n "$ANDROID_NDK_PATH" ]; then
-    echo "Latest Android NDK found at: $ANDROID_NDK_PATH"
+    export ANDROID_NDK_ROOT=$ANDROID_NDK_PATH
+    echo "Android NDK: $ANDROID_NDK_PATH ($(grep -m1 Pkg.Revision "$ANDROID_NDK_PATH/source.properties" | cut -d= -f2 | tr -d ' '))"
 else
-    echo "No NDK found inside SDK directory."
+    echo "Android NDK $NDK not found in $ANDROID_SDK_PATH/ndk (and ANDROID_NDK_ROOT / ANDROID_NDK_HOME not set)."
+    echo "Install it with: sdkmanager \"ndk;$NDK\"  or set NDK=<installed version>"
     exit 1
 fi
 ANDROID_CMAKE_PATH=$(ls -d "$ANDROID_SDK_PATH/cmake/"* 2>/dev/null | sort -V | tail -n 1)
diff --git a/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/openframeworksAndroid/build.gradle b/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/openframeworksAndroid/build.gradle
index cbb9bd03311..c11061924ee 100644
--- a/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/openframeworksAndroid/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/openFrameworksCompiled/project/android/openframeworksAndroid/build.gradle
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ tasks.register("prepareKotlinBuildScriptModel"){}
 android {
 	namespace 'cc.openframeworks.android'
 	compileSdkVersion 34
-	ndkVersion '28.2.13676358'
-	buildToolsVersion '35.0.0'
+	ndkVersion '29.0.14206865'
+	buildToolsVersion '37.0.0'
 
 	defaultConfig {
-		minSdkVersion 34
+		minSdkVersion 25
 		targetSdkVersion 34
 		versionCode 12
 		versionName "12"
diff --git a/scripts/templates/android/ofApp/build.gradle b/scripts/templates/android/ofApp/build.gradle
index 04f60c08f17..dcc9fda1188 100644
--- a/scripts/templates/android/ofApp/build.gradle
+++ b/scripts/templates/android/ofApp/build.gradle
@@ -170,9 +170,9 @@ println "Include directories: " + addonIncludeDirs
 
 android {
     compileSdkVersion 34
-    buildToolsVersion '35.0.0'
+    buildToolsVersion '37.0.0'
     //ndkPath "/Users/x/android-ndk-r21e"  // Point to your own NDK if needed
-    ndkVersion '28.2.13676358' // use android studio side loaded ndk
+    ndkVersion '29.0.14206865' // keep in sync with apothecary build-android.yml
     buildFeatures {
         prefab true
     }
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ android {
     }
     defaultConfig {
         applicationId "cc.openframeworks.androidAssimpExample"  // IMPORTANT : THIS DEFINES THE ID OF THE APK
-        minSdkVersion 24
+        minSdkVersion 25
         targetSdkVersion 34
         versionCode 12
         versionName '12.0'