Android App Bundle: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 19:43, 7 June 2025

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{{Infobox file format

| name = Android App Bundle

| icon = Android App Bundle logo.png

| _noextcode =

| extension = {{code|.aab}}

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| genre = [[Package format]]

| container for = [[Android (operating system)|Android]]

| freeopen = yes

| contained by =

| extended from =

| extended to =

| standard =

| url = {{Official website|https://developer.android.com/guide/app-bundleurl}}

}}

'''Android App Bundle''' is the [[Android (operating system)|Android]] application publishing [[file format]]. The App Bundle must include the application's [[compile]]d code and resources, which allows for the signing and generation of [[AndroidApk application(file packageformat)|APK files]] to be deferred to the [[app store]], reducing the initial download size of the app.<ref name="google-app-bundle">{{Cite web |title=About Android App Bundles |url=https://developer.android.com/guide/app-bundle |access-date=2021-08-15 |website=Android Developers |language=en |archive-date=2021-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809200609/https://developer.android.com/guide/app-bundle |url-status=live }}</ref> The file extension used for this format is ".aab".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/bundletool |title=bundletool |access-date=2021-10-19 |website=Android Developers |archive-date=2023-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315193854/https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/bundletool |url-status=live }}</ref>

The[[Google formatPlay]] hasrequires beenAndroid requiredApp Bundles for all new [[Googleapps Play]]since August 2021 and for all updates to preexisting apps since AugustNovember 2021.<ref name="theverge">{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=2021-06-30 |title=Google is moving away from APKs on the Play Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557390/google-apk-app-bundles-package-format-play-store |access-date=2021-08-15 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2021-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804045536/https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557390/google-apk-app-bundles-package-format-play-store |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Android App Bundle and target API level requirements in 2021 |url=https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/11/new-android-app-bundle-and-target-api.html |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Android Developers Blog |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314143553/https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/11/new-android-app-bundle-and-target-api.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Since May 2023, Android TV requires AABs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amadeo |first=Ron |date=2022-11-22 |title=Android TV will require App Bundles in 2023, should reduce app size by 20% |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/android-tv-will-require-app-bundles-in-2023-should-reduce-app-size-by-20/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=2022-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209054435/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/android-tv-will-require-app-bundles-in-2023-should-reduce-app-size-by-20/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Split APKs ==

Without Android App Bundles, an [[Android application package|APK]] can support multiple languages, up to four different [[Computer architecture|CPU architectures]], and several [[display resolution]]s.<ref name="arstechnica">{{Cite web |last=Amadeo |first=Ron |date=2021-07-01 |title=Google Play dumps APKs for the more Google-controlled “Android"Android App Bundle”Bundle" |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/google-play-dumps-apks-for-the-more-google-controlled-android-app-bundle/ |access-date=2021-08-15 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=2021-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812212257/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/google-play-dumps-apks-for-the-more-google-controlled-android-app-bundle/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This meant that each installation file could contain potentially large amounts of amount of [[code bloat|bloat]] irrelevant for a device's specific combination of CPU, locale, and screen size.<ref name="arstechnica"></ref>

Split APKs, which are generated by an app store like Google Play, contain only the code and resources that are needed for the specific device downloading the app.<ref name="theregister">{{Cite web |last=Tim Anderson |title=Android devs prepare to hand over app-signing keys to Google from August |url=https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/01/android_app_bundle/ |access-date=2021-08-15 |website=www.theregister.com |language=en |archive-date=2021-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724182926/https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/01/android_app_bundle/ |url-status=live }}</ref> If the user changes their device language or feature set, the app store can then deliver additional split APKs on demand to meet the changed requirements.<ref name="googleplaydev">{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Dom |date=2020-11-23 |title=A new publishing format for the future of Android |url=https://medium.com/googleplaydev/what-a-new-publishing-format-means-for-the-future-of-android-2e34981793a |access-date=2021-08-15 |website=Medium |language=en |archive-date=2021-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716040146/https://medium.com/googleplaydev/what-a-new-publishing-format-means-for-the-future-of-android-2e34981793a |url-status=live }}</ref>

Android App Bundles are required for using "play as you download" feature of Google Play, which lets users download and install a portion of the game to start playing and then download the rest while the user is occupied by the first level.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Amadeo|first=Ron|date=2021-11-15|title=Android 12: The Ars Technica Review|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/11/android-12-the-ars-technica-review/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=2021-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121011423/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/11/android-12-the-ars-technica-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Android software development]]

* [[Androidapk application(file packageformat)]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{official website}}

{{Android|state=collapsed}}

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