diff --git a/libutils/include/utils/String16.h b/libutils/include/utils/String16.h
index 44a4fd7..1fa3723 100644
--- a/libutils/include/utils/String16.h
+++ b/libutils/include/utils/String16.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
                                 ~String16();
 
     inline  const char16_t*     c_str() const;
+    inline  const char16_t*     string() const;
 
             size_t              size() const;
     inline  bool                empty() const;
@@ -187,14 +188,6 @@
 
     template <size_t N>
     explicit constexpr String16(const StaticData<N>& s) : mString(s.data) {}
-
-// These symbols are for potential backward compatibility with prebuilts. To be removed.
-#ifdef ENABLE_STRING8_OBSOLETE_METHODS
-public:
-#else
-private:
-#endif
-    inline  const char16_t*     string() const;
 };
 
 // String16 can be trivially moved using memcpy() because moving does not
diff --git a/libutils/include/utils/String8.h b/libutils/include/utils/String8.h
index 6d25072..0b92f5b 100644
--- a/libutils/include/utils/String8.h
+++ b/libutils/include/utils/String8.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
     static String8              formatV(const char* fmt, va_list args);
 
     inline  const char*         c_str() const;
+    inline  const char*         string() const;
 
     inline  size_t              size() const;
     inline  size_t              bytes() const;
@@ -154,7 +155,6 @@
 #else
 private:
 #endif
-    inline  const char*         string() const;
     inline  bool                isEmpty() const;
 };