diff --git a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/TextInput.java b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/TextInput.java
index 632fe3c01..7cec28c05 100644
--- a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/TextInput.java
+++ b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/noosa/TextInput.java
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ package com.watabou.noosa;
 
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Files;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Gdx;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Mesh;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.OrthographicCamera;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.BitmapFont;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.SpriteBatch;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.Actor;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.Stage;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.ui.Container;
@@ -64,6 +66,9 @@ public class TextInput extends Component {
 		viewport.setWorldSize(Game.width, Game.height);
 		viewport.setScreenBounds(0, Game.bottomInset, Game.width, Game.height);
 		viewport.setCamera(new OrthographicCamera());
+		//TODO this is needed for the moment as Spritebatch switched to using VAOs in libGDX v1.13.1
+		//  This results in HARD crashes atm, whereas old vertex arrays work fine
+		SpriteBatch.overrideVertexType = Mesh.VertexDataType.VertexArray;
 		stage = new Stage(viewport);
 		Game.inputHandler.addInputProcessor(stage);
 
diff --git a/android/build.gradle b/android/build.gradle
index 0224500bd..5146d5d6c 100644
--- a/android/build.gradle
+++ b/android/build.gradle
@@ -59,19 +59,16 @@ configurations { natives }
 dependencies {
     implementation project(':core')
 
-    // We are using the natives from 1.11.0 to maintain compatibility with Android 4.0-4.3 for now
-    // The 1.12.0+ natives are compiled with a version of the NDK which drops 4.3- support
-    // YES, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! 1.11.0 natives may only incidentally work with later libGDX versions
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-backend-android:$gdxVersion"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:1.11.0:natives-armeabi-v7a"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:1.11.0:natives-arm64-v8a"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:1.11.0:natives-x86"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:1.11.0:natives-x86_64"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-armeabi-v7a"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-x86"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-arm64-v8a"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-x86_64"
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype:$gdxVersion"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:1.11.0:natives-armeabi-v7a"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:1.11.0:natives-arm64-v8a"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:1.11.0:natives-x86"
-    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:1.11.0:natives-x86_64"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-armeabi-v7a"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-arm64-v8a"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-x86"
+    natives "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-x86_64"
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx-controllers:gdx-controllers-android:$gdxControllersVersion"
 }
 
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 76e06d2ce..a89b3bf13 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ allprojects {
         //will do this at the same time as dropping support for Android 4.4- (later in 2025)
         appAndroidTargetSDK = 34    //Android 14
 
-        gdxVersion = '1.12.1'
+        gdxVersion = '1.13.6-SNAPSHOT' //using snapshot as 1.13.5 has issues with Android R8
         gdxControllersVersion = '2.2.4'
         robovmVersion = '2.3.23'
     }
diff --git a/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSPlatformSupport.java b/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSPlatformSupport.java
index 6ec13921b..d5fa527fd 100644
--- a/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSPlatformSupport.java
+++ b/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSPlatformSupport.java
@@ -35,11 +35,9 @@ import com.watabou.noosa.Game;
 import com.watabou.utils.PlatformSupport;
 
 import org.robovm.apple.audiotoolbox.AudioServices;
-import org.robovm.apple.foundation.NSURL;
 import org.robovm.apple.systemconfiguration.SCNetworkReachability;
 import org.robovm.apple.systemconfiguration.SCNetworkReachabilityFlags;
 import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UIApplication;
-import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UIApplicationOpenURLOptions;
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
@@ -47,18 +45,6 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 public class IOSPlatformSupport extends PlatformSupport {
 
-	@Override
-	public boolean openURI( String uri ){
-		//backported from libGDX 1.13.1, required for opening URLs on modern iOS
-		UIApplication uiApp = UIApplication.getSharedApplication();
-		NSURL url = new NSURL(uri);
-		if (uiApp.canOpenURL(url)) {
-			uiApp.openURL(url, new UIApplicationOpenURLOptions(), null);
-			return true;
-		}
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public void updateDisplaySize() {
 		//non-zero safe insets on left/top/right means device has a notch, show status bar