diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6bd3b127948..7c2f14fdeaa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 - Android: Attachments on the scope will now be synced to native ([#5211](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5211))
 - Add THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md for vendored third-party code, bundled as SENTRY_THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md in the sentry JAR under META-INF ([#5186](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5186))
 
+### Improvements
+
+- Do not retrieve `ActivityManager` if API < 35 on SDK init ([#5275](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5275))
+
 ## 8.37.1
 
 ### Fixes
diff --git a/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/performance/AppStartMetrics.java b/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/performance/AppStartMetrics.java
index 1bb95b9061a..746805fcfdc 100644
--- a/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/performance/AppStartMetrics.java
+++ b/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/performance/AppStartMetrics.java
@@ -338,19 +338,20 @@ public void registerLifecycleCallbacks(final @NotNull Application application) {
     appLaunchedInForeground.resetValue();
     application.registerActivityLifecycleCallbacks(instance);
 
-    final @Nullable ActivityManager activityManager =
-        (ActivityManager) application.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
-
-    if (activityManager != null && Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.VANILLA_ICE_CREAM) {
-      final List<ApplicationStartInfo> historicalProcessStartReasons =
-          activityManager.getHistoricalProcessStartReasons(1);
-      if (!historicalProcessStartReasons.isEmpty()) {
-        final @NotNull ApplicationStartInfo info = historicalProcessStartReasons.get(0);
-        if (info.getStartupState() == ApplicationStartInfo.STARTUP_STATE_STARTED) {
-          if (info.getStartType() == ApplicationStartInfo.START_TYPE_COLD) {
-            appStartType = AppStartType.COLD;
-          } else {
-            appStartType = AppStartType.WARM;
+    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.VANILLA_ICE_CREAM) {
+      final @Nullable ActivityManager activityManager =
+          (ActivityManager) application.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
+      if (activityManager != null) {
+        final List<ApplicationStartInfo> historicalProcessStartReasons =
+            activityManager.getHistoricalProcessStartReasons(1);
+        if (!historicalProcessStartReasons.isEmpty()) {
+          final @NotNull ApplicationStartInfo info = historicalProcessStartReasons.get(0);
+          if (info.getStartupState() == ApplicationStartInfo.STARTUP_STATE_STARTED) {
+            if (info.getStartType() == ApplicationStartInfo.START_TYPE_COLD) {
+              appStartType = AppStartType.COLD;
+            } else {
+              appStartType = AppStartType.WARM;
+            }
           }
         }
       }