Google will replace APK with AAB from August, 2021 – a complete story

Google has officially announced that from August 2021, all new apps or games released on the Google Play Store will have to be submitted in AAB format. [Android App Bundle]. Google has already decided to convert APK to AAB format for all new apps. But it is also speculated that Google will gradually introduce a mandatory rule for all old and new apps. Over the years, Android Apps has been created in the APK format, where APK refers to Android packages. But in 2018, Google announced a new file format – AAB (Android App Bundle) as a new extension for Android Apps. Currently, there are almost 1 million plus apps Uses AAB file formats, such as Adobe, Duolingo, Netflix, Riafy, Twitter, Gameloft, etc.

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What is AAB? [Android App Bundle]

AAB is nothing more than a new file format of Android Apps. It was launched in 2018. With this format, an app developer can submit their Android app in bits and pieces – so that there are different files, such as: different languages, display resolution, different CPU architectures and much more. Now depending on the device, Google Playstore will create a required APK file, using fragments of AAB. This format is much smaller in size than the APK file. When a developer wants to update their Android app, they can only push the update for a specific part / piece – which actually reduces the size of the update file. Developers can create the AAB file in Android Studio with just one click – which makes life much easier for developers.

Android phones that support AAB format

Any Android phone with Lollipop or the latest Android OS version will support AAB [Android App Bundle] Directory means, any Android phone that has been launched in the last 4 years, easily supports Android app bundle directory.

What is changing from August, 2021

Let’s find out some answers related to AAB [Android App Bundle] FAQs

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Question 1) How much work does it take to use an app bundle versus an APK file?

Year: Theoretically, it takes very little work to create an Android app bundle. When it comes to app development, it’s just a matter of choosing a few options. The app bundle is basically an open-source format supported by Android Studio, Cocos Creator, Unity, Unreal Engine, Gradle, etc. Core Native, Core Java or Kotlin SDK, makes it easy to develop app bundle features

Q2) How does the app bundle work?

Year: Google Playstore app bundle is used to create APKs optimized according to device configuration. This means users will enjoy smaller apps without the unused code needed for other devices. You can easily track the size of your Android app on Google Play Console.

Q3) is AAB [Android App Bundle] Making things even harder for a 3rd party App Store?

Year: Yes, it is officially reported that App Bundle can make things difficult for 3rd party App Stores. For example: if you install the Android app from Playstore and want to update the app from another option [such as: Aptoide store or Amazon app store], SIGNATURE MISMATCH may cause installation to fail The reason is: Google now manages the “Private Signing Key” – so you can’t use the same key when updating from another 3rd party App Store. You will need to use a separate private key and this will cause a “private key mismatch error”.

Should developers and users worry about the Android app bundle?

Absolutely not ..! AAB is not a bad thing as it sounds. A user will get a small app size, which will save his phone storage and internet data. Where developers can ensure that the Android app / game is available on authentic Android devices. So for sure, Android App Bundle should be a win-win situation for both the user and the developer.

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Conclusion

From hosting Android apps to managing the associated private keys – Google now controls app publishing and distribution on Android. Developers should be happy, because they don’t have to manage separate APKs. Even us, users can enjoy our favorite apps or games in a smaller version perfectly optimized for our own devices.