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| Filename extension | .apk,.apks,.aab,.xapk,.apkm,.akp |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | application/vnd.android.package-archive |
| Type of format | Package format |
| Container for |
|
| Extended from | JAR |
TheAndroid Package with the file extensionapk[1] is thefile format used by theAndroid operating system, and a number of other Android-based operating systems for distribution and installation ofmobile apps,mobile games andmiddleware. A file using this format can be built from source code written in eitherJava orKotlin.
APK files can be generated and signed fromAndroid App Bundles.
APK files are compressed packages that include an app's code, resources, and metadata. They can be installed manually on Android devices, a process known as side loading. While useful for accessing apps unavailable on official stores, side loading can pose security risks if the source is not trusted.
APK is analogous to othersoftware packages such asAPPX inMicrosoft Windows,APP forHarmonyOS or aDebian package inDebian-based operating systems. To make an APK file, a program for Android is first compiled using a tool such asAndroid Studio[2] orVisual Studio and then all of its parts are packaged into one container file. An APK file contains all of a program's code (such as.dex files), resources, assets, certificates, andmanifest file. As is the case with many file formats, APK files can have any desired name but, for the system to recognize them, the .apk filename suffix may be necessary.[3][4][5]
Most Android implementations allow users to manually install APK files only after they turn on an "Unknown Sources" setting that allows installation from sources other than trusted ones likeGoogle Play. One may do so for many reasons, such as during the development of apps, to install apps not found on the store, or to install an older version of an existing app.[6]
Blackberry Limited supported Android 4.1 Jelly Bean apps and up throughAndroid Runtime to now discontinuedBlackberry 10 through the January 2014 10.2.1 firmware update.[7] On June 18, 2014, BlackBerry announced an official relationship withAmazon.com, which resulted in the 10.3 update bundling theAmazon Appstore.
At 2015 Build, Microsoft had also announced anAndroid runtime environment for Windows 10 Mobile known as "Astoria", which would allow Android apps to run in an emulated environment with minimal changes, and have access to Microsoft platform APIs such asBing Maps andXbox Live as nearly drop-in replacements for equivalentGoogle Mobile Services. Google Mobile Services and certain core APIs would not be available, and apps with "deep integration into background tasks" were said to poorly support the environment.[8][9]
On February 25, 2016, after already having delayed it in November 2015,[10][11] Microsoft announced that "Astoria" would be shelved, arguing that it was redundant to the native Windows Bridge toolkit since iOS is already a primary target for mobile app development. The company also encouraged use of products fromXamarin (which they had acquired the previous day) for multi-platform app development usingC# programming language instead.[12][13] Portions of Astoria were used as a basis for theWindows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) platform on the PC version of Windows 10.[14]
On August 9, 2019,HarmonyOS came with APK compatibility viaAOSP base withLinux kernel on HarmonyOS 1.0 for TVs and also June 2, 2021, HarmonyOS 2.0 version expanded to smartphones and tablets until Galaxy Edition version underHarmonyOS NEXT system for the next iterative HarmonyOS 5 beta to commercial version, starting in Q2, June 2024.[15][16][17][18][19]
At theWindows 11 announcement event in June 2021,Microsoft showcased the newWindows Subsystem for Android (WSA) that will enable support for theAndroid Open Source Project (AOSP) and will allow users to runAndroid apps on their Windows desktop. Microsoft confirmed users will be able to sideload Android apps onto Windows and that it would be possible to install APK files downloaded from third-party sources.[20] On March 5, 2024, Microsoft announced to end its Android apps on Windows 11 subsystem by March 5, 2025, as part of its effort to depreciate the subsystem fromWindows NT kernel dropping Android apk apps compatibility, including Android apps fromAmazon App Store.[21]
Google announced plans in December 2021 to bring Android games to Windows in 2022.[22][23]
An APK file is aZIP archive that usually contains the following files and directories:
META-INF directory:MANIFEST.MF: theManifest fileCERT.SF: The list of resources and aSHA-1digest of the corresponding lines in the MANIFEST.MF file; for example:Signature-Version: 1.0Created-By: 1.0 (Android)SHA1-Digest-Manifest: wxqnEAI0UA5nO5QJ8CGMwjkGGWE=...Name: res/layout/exchange_component_back_bottom.xmlSHA1-Digest: eACjMjESj7Zkf0cBFTZ0nqWrt7w=Name: res/drawable-hdpi/icon.pngSHA1-Digest: DGEqylP8W0n0iV/ZzBx3MW0WGCA=
lib: the directory containing the compiled code that is platform dependent, for example native libraries that can be loaded throughJNI; the directory is split into more directories within it:res: the directory containing resources not compiled into resources.arsc (see below).assets: a directory containing applications assets, which can be retrieved byAssetManager.AndroidManifest.xml: An additional Android manifest file, describing the name, version, access rights, referenced library files for the application. This file may be in Androidbinary XML that can be converted into human-readable plaintext XML with tools such as AXMLPrinter2, Apktool M, or Androguard.classes.dex: The classes compiled in thedex file format executed byAndroid Runtime (or byDalvik virtual machine used inAndroid 4.4 KitKat).resources.arsc: a file containing precompiled resources, such as binary XML for example.Note: Historically the NDK supported ARMv5 (armeabi), and 32-bit and 64-bitMIPS, but support for these ABIs was removed in NDK r17.
Support for ARMv5 (armeabi), MIPS, and MIPS64 has been removed. Attempting to build any of theseABIs will result in an error.
| Archiving only | |
|---|---|
| Compression only | |
| Archiving and compression | |
| Software packaging and distribution | |
| Document packaging and distribution | |
