APK: Android Application Package

Introduction

APK is the file format used by Android to distribute and install applications. As a consequence, an APK contains all of the components required for an app to be properly installed on your device.

An APK is an archive file, which means it includes several files as well as metadata about them. You've undoubtedly heard of other forms of archive files, such as ZIP and RAR. You may have heard the word APK and wondered what it meant if you own an Android smartphone. While you may use Android without ever understanding what APK stands for, doing so will help you understand and appreciate the platform more.

What is an APK?

APK is the application file format used in the Android operating system, as well as a variety of other Android-based running programs in mobile phones, video games, and middleware for distribution and installation. APK is similar to other Microsoft Windows software packages, such as Debian packages or APPX in Debian-based software applications.

In general, archive files (such as ZIP) are used to bundle numerous files into one, making them more portable or compressing them to conserve space. When a file archive is used to deliver software, it is referred to as a software package.

Because most of Android is built in Java, APKs are a variation of the JAR (Java Archive) file type. APKs are all ZIP files at their core, but they must have extra information to operate effectively as APKs.

History of APK

When a developer produces an Android app, they are most likely using Android Studio, the official Android programming tool. When the app is ready to deploy, Android Studio compiles it and places everything in a single container—an APK.

APKs can have whatever name they choose, but they must have the file extension.apk so that operating systems can understand them. When you download an APK, the filename will normally be something like this − com.google.android.dialer_66.0.374464860.apk

This is a (shortened) version of Google's Phone APK name. The whole app name matches the filename in the URL of the program's Google Play page −

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.dialer

Because large programs like this are constantly updated, the numbers at the end indicate the current version, which may be fairly detailed.

Contents of APK

An APK file for Android is an Archive that typically comprises the following files and directories −

META-INF folder

• It contains the manifest file.

• The application's certificate.

• A list of resources

lib

This is a directory that includes platform-specific built code.

res

The resources that are not compiled in arsc are stored in this directory. assets: The AssetManager retrieves application assets from this location.

AndroidManifest

This is a supplementary Android Manifest file that identifies the application's name, version, access privileges, and related library files.

classes.dex

These are the classes that have been compiled in the dex file format and can be understood by both the Dalvik Virtual Machine and the Android Runtime.

Resources

This is a file with precompiled resources such as binary XML.

Uses of APK on Android and Other OS

APK files are used to install apps on Android devices. They're identical to the APPX files that are used to install Store apps in Windows 10, as well as the analogous package files on other platforms. When you open an APK on your device, it contains installation instructions and information about the package itself.

When you go to Google Play to download or update an app, the store normally downloads the APK for you. In this sense, the Play Store also functions as a package manager, which is a tool for conveniently installing, updating, and deleting apps from a device.

However, due to Android's open nature, Google Play is not the only option to locate and install APKs. It is simple to download an APK file from somewhere else, move it to your smartphone, and then manually install it.

Conclusion

The file format for programs used on the Android operating system is APK Android Studio, the official integrated development environment (IDE) for developing Android software, which is used to assemble APK files.

An APK expansion file is used to store media files, high-fidelity images, or other significant assets that would cause an APK to exceed the size limit. APK files can also be sent to other Android users to be installed on their devices.

FAQs

1. What is eXtensible Markup Language (XML)?

XML is one of the most extensively used formats for communicating structured information today, both locally and across networks: between programs, between people, and between computers and humans. If you're acquainted with HTML, you'll see that XML is pretty similar.

2. What is ZIP?

Zipped (compressed) files require less storage space and may be transmitted to other computers more rapidly than uncompressed files. In Windows, you deal with zipped files and folders in the same manner as you work with uncompressed files and folders.

3. What is android OS?

Android OS is a Linux-based mobile operating system that is largely used on smartphones and tablets. The Android platform features an operating system based on the Linux kernel, a graphical user interface, a web browser, and end-user apps that may be downloaded. An operating system (OS) is the software that handles all of the other application programs in a computer after being loaded into the machine by a boot program.