diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8adadd3..e3870ec 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ We welcome contributions, to contribute to SQLCipher for Android, a [contributor
 Add a local reference to the local library and dependency:
 
 ```groovy
-implementation files('libs/sqlcipher-android-4.14.0-release.aar')
+implementation files('libs/sqlcipher-android-4.15.0-release.aar')
 implementation 'androidx.sqlite:sqlite:2.6.2'
 ```
 
 or source a Community edition build from Maven Central:
 
 ```groovy
-implementation 'net.zetetic:sqlcipher-android:4.14.0@aar'
+implementation 'net.zetetic:sqlcipher-android:4.15.0@aar'
 implementation 'androidx.sqlite:sqlite:2.6.2'
 ```
 
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index a2dae67..1a94a03 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ project.ext {
     if(project.hasProperty('sqlcipherAndroidVersion') && "${sqlcipherAndroidVersion}") {
         libraryVersion = "${sqlcipherAndroidVersion}"
     } else {
-        libraryVersion = "4.14.1"
+        libraryVersion = "4.15.0"
     }
     minSdkVersion = 23
     androidXSQLiteVersion = "2.6.2"
diff --git a/sqlcipher/src/main/java/net/zetetic/database/sqlcipher/SQLiteDatabase.java b/sqlcipher/src/main/java/net/zetetic/database/sqlcipher/SQLiteDatabase.java
index 1a26f71..2fba349 100644
--- a/sqlcipher/src/main/java/net/zetetic/database/sqlcipher/SQLiteDatabase.java
+++ b/sqlcipher/src/main/java/net/zetetic/database/sqlcipher/SQLiteDatabase.java
@@ -401,6 +401,10 @@ private static boolean isMainThread() {
         return looper != null && looper == Looper.getMainLooper();
     }
 
+    public void beginTransactionReadOnly() {
+        beginTransaction();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Begins a transaction in EXCLUSIVE mode.
      * <p>
diff --git a/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_CursorWindow.cpp b/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_CursorWindow.cpp
index a835f6d..8ddce4e 100644
--- a/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_CursorWindow.cpp
+++ b/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_CursorWindow.cpp
@@ -275,9 +275,9 @@ namespace android {
                                   jbyteArray valueObj, jint row, jint column) {
         auto* window = reinterpret_cast<CursorWindow*>(windowPtr);
         jsize len = env->GetArrayLength(valueObj);
-        void* value = env->GetPrimitiveArrayCritical(valueObj, NULL);
+        jbyte* value = static_cast<jbyte*>(env->GetByteArrayElements(valueObj, NULL));
         status_t status = window->putBlob(row, column, value, len);
-        env->ReleasePrimitiveArrayCritical(valueObj, value, JNI_ABORT);
+        env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(valueObj, value, JNI_ABORT);
         if (status) {
             ALOGD("Failed to put blob. error=%d", status);
             return false;
diff --git a/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_SQLiteConnection.cpp b/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_SQLiteConnection.cpp
index f0eab3c..dcb6a7a 100644
--- a/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_SQLiteConnection.cpp
+++ b/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/android_database_SQLiteConnection.cpp
@@ -354,11 +354,11 @@ static jlong nativePrepareStatement(JNIEnv* env, jclass clazz, jlong connectionP
     auto* connection = reinterpret_cast<SQLiteConnection*>(connectionPtr);
 
     jsize sqlLength = env->GetStringLength(sqlString);
-    const jchar* sql = env->GetStringCritical(sqlString, NULL);
+    const jchar* sql = env->GetStringChars(sqlString, NULL);
     sqlite3_stmt* statement;
     int err = sqlite3_prepare16_v2(connection->db,
             sql, sqlLength * sizeof(jchar), &statement, NULL);
-    env->ReleaseStringCritical(sqlString, sql);
+    env->ReleaseStringChars(sqlString, sql);
 
     if (err != SQLITE_OK) {
         // Error messages like 'near ")": syntax error' are not
@@ -459,10 +459,10 @@ static void nativeBindString(JNIEnv* env, jclass clazz, jlong connectionPtr,
     auto* connection = reinterpret_cast<SQLiteConnection*>(connectionPtr);
     auto* statement = reinterpret_cast<sqlite3_stmt*>(statementPtr);
     jsize valueLength = env->GetStringLength(valueString);
-    const jchar* value = env->GetStringCritical(valueString, NULL);
+    const jchar* value = env->GetStringChars(valueString, NULL);
     int err = sqlite3_bind_text16(statement, index, value, valueLength * sizeof(jchar),
             SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
-    env->ReleaseStringCritical(valueString, value);
+    env->ReleaseStringChars(valueString, value);
     if (err != SQLITE_OK) {
         throw_sqlite3_exception(env, connection->db, NULL);
     }
@@ -473,9 +473,9 @@ static void nativeBindBlob(JNIEnv* env, jclass clazz, jlong connectionPtr,
     auto* connection = reinterpret_cast<SQLiteConnection*>(connectionPtr);
     auto* statement = reinterpret_cast<sqlite3_stmt*>(statementPtr);
     jsize valueLength = env->GetArrayLength(valueArray);
-    auto* value = static_cast<jbyte*>(env->GetPrimitiveArrayCritical(valueArray, NULL));
+    jbyte* value = static_cast<jbyte*>(env->GetByteArrayElements(valueArray, NULL));
     int err = sqlite3_bind_blob(statement, index, value, valueLength, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
-    env->ReleasePrimitiveArrayCritical(valueArray, value, JNI_ABORT);
+    env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(valueArray, value, JNI_ABORT);
     if (err != SQLITE_OK) {
         throw_sqlite3_exception(env, connection->db, NULL);
     }
diff --git a/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/src b/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/src
index 778ab89..0b4d160 160000
--- a/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/src
+++ b/sqlcipher/src/main/jni/sqlcipher/src
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 778ab890cfc30c3631212dcceb0295498abdcd3e
+Subproject commit 0b4d16090a71579c4c88220b7fb67bb7396f1434