APK

Filename extension	.apk, .xapk, .apks, .apkm
Internet media type	application/vnd.android.package-archive
Type of format	Package format
Container for	Android : Mobile apps Windows 11 : Desktop apps for WSA
Extended from	JAR

The Android Package with the file extension apk

[1]

is the

file format

used by the

Android operating system

, and a number of other Android-based operating systems for distribution and installation of

mobile apps

,

mobile games

and

middleware

. It can be written in either

Java

or

Kotlin

.

APK files can be generated and signed from

Android App Bundles

.

[2]

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Overview[

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]

APK is analogous to other

software packages

such as

APPX

in

Microsoft Windows

or a

Debian package

in

Debian

-based operating systems. To make an APK file, a program for Android is first compiled using a tool such as

Android Studio

[3]

or

Visual 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, and

manifest file

. As is the case with many file formats, APK files can have any name needed, but it may be required that the file name ends in the file extension for being recognized as such.

[4]

[5]

[6]

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 like

Google 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.

[7]

[8]

Use on other operating systems[

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]

At the

Windows 11

announcement event in June 2021,

Microsoft

showcased the new

Windows Subsystem for Android

(WSA) that will enable support for the

Android Open Source Project

(AOSP) and will allow users to run

Android 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.

[9]

Users were not able to use WSA when the OS launched, but it is currently^[

when?

] being tested with Windows Insiders in the United States.^[

citation needed

]

Google plans to introduce its own way to run Android apps on Windows some time in 2022.

[10]

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Package contents[

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]

An APK file is an

archive

that usually contains the following files and directories:

• META-INF directory:
  • MANIFEST.MF: the

    Manifest file

  • The certificate of the application.
  • CERT.SF: The list of resources and a

    SHA-1

    digest

    of the corresponding lines in the MANIFEST.MF file; for example:

    Signature-Version: 1.0 Created-By: 1.0 (Android) SHA1-Digest-Manifest: wxqnEAI0UA5nO5QJ8CGMwjkGGWE= ... Name: res/layout/exchange_component_back_bottom.xml SHA1-Digest: eACjMjESj7Zkf0cBFTZ0nqWrt7w= Name: res/drawable-hdpi/icon.png SHA1-Digest: DGEqylP8W0n0iV/ZzBx3MW0WGCA= 

• lib: the directory containing the compiled code that is platform dependent; the directory is split into more directories within it:
  • armeabi-v7a: compiled code for all

    ARMv7

    and above based processors only

  • arm64-v8a: compiled code for all

    ARMv8

    arm64 and above based processors only

    [11]

  • x86: compiled code for

    x86

    processors only

  • x86_64: compiled code for

    x86-64

    processors only

  • mips and armeabi, deprecated since NDK r17

    [12]

    [13]

• res: the directory containing resources not compiled into resources.arsc (see below).
• assets: a directory containing applications assets, which can be retrieved by AssetManager.
• AndroidManifest.xml: An additional Android manifest file, describing the name, version, access rights, referenced library files for the application. This file may be in Android

  binary 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 the

  dex file format

  executed by

  Android Runtime

  (or by

  Dalvik virtual machine

  used in

  Android 4.4 KitKat

  ).

• resources.arsc: a file containing precompiled resources, such as binary XML for example.

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See also[

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]

• Android software development

• .ipa

• Java Programming Language

References[

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]