compileSdkVersion is your way to tell Gradle what version of the Android SDK to compile your app with. Using the new Android SDK is a requirement to use any of the new APIs added in that level.
It should be emphasized that changing your compileSdkVersion does not change runtime behavior. While new compiler warnings/errors may be present when changing your compileSdkVersion, your compileSdkVersion is not included in your APK: it is purely used at compile time. (You should really fix those warnings though — they were added for a reason!)
Therefore it is strongly recommended that you always compile with the latest SDK.
If compileSdkVersion sets the newest APIs available to you, minSdkVersion is the lower bound for your app. The minSdkVersion is one of the signals the Google Play Store uses to determine which of a user’s devices an app can be installed on.
So your will run on lower APIs and it doesn't depend on compile sdk version but some features may not support.
Example: API 23 supports metallic design and you develop you app using 23 but as you set minsdk to lowers APIs then it will run on lower versions but metallic view will not be visible to you.
