diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index c1cb20162012f6..50e2c40e188eff 100644
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ def get_ndk_api_level(environ_cp, android_ndk_home_path):
   android_ndk_api_level = prompt_loop_or_load_from_env(
       environ_cp,
       var_name='ANDROID_NDK_API_LEVEL',
-      var_default='26',  # 26 is required to support AHardwareBuffer.
+      var_default='21',  # 21 is required for ARM64 support.
       ask_for_var=(
           'Please specify the (min) Android NDK API level to use. '
           '[Available levels: %s]'
diff --git a/tensorflow/lite/g3doc/android/lite_build.md b/tensorflow/lite/g3doc/android/lite_build.md
index 4324c0b9d5d4bf..3384df9d60f58e 100644
--- a/tensorflow/lite/g3doc/android/lite_build.md
+++ b/tensorflow/lite/g3doc/android/lite_build.md
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ in the `.tf_configure.bazelrc` file in the root folder:
 
 ```shell
 build --action_env ANDROID_NDK_HOME="/usr/local/android/android-ndk-r25b"
-build --action_env ANDROID_NDK_API_LEVEL="26"
+build --action_env ANDROID_NDK_API_LEVEL="21"
 build --action_env ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS_VERSION="30.0.3"
 build --action_env ANDROID_SDK_API_LEVEL="30"
 build --action_env ANDROID_SDK_HOME="/usr/local/android/android-sdk-linux"