In 2021, Google announced that the default format for Android app development would beAndroid App Bundle (nibble) instead of historians APK packages. If this news is not a concern for end users, nor does it expect major changes, for Developers The story becomes more complicated. the Formato de package packaging applications It was launched by Big G in 2018 to make up for some shortcomings of APK packages, which contain a bundled version of an app along with multimedia resources like icons and sounds. Starting in August 2021, Google will stop supporting APK packages in phases in favor of app packages. Here are the differences between APK and App packages for AndroidAnd, above all, the pros and cons of using it.
APK vs. app package: le differentenze
APK means Android App Bundle, which is basically a file ready to be installed on the user’s Android device. These packages contain all the files and the application icon, such as the multimedia contents that characterize the application, which can be downloaded from Play Store. Over the years I APK file They highlighted some limitations and that is why Google launched the format in 2018 AAB, or App Bundle, which includes both the app’s code and resources and which as of August 2021 is the official release of the Apps on the Play Store.
The main difference between APK and App Bundle lies specifically in the content of the resource pack and the way files are downloaded from the Play Store.
When you download a file APK, the application will receive all the resources, and then select and use only those resources that are necessary for the application to work on a particular device. L ‘Application PackInstead, it allows you to download only the resources necessary for the user to use the application. This means that with the App Bundle, you will be able to download much lighter and faster apps from the Play Store. Moreover, the Additional Features They can be downloaded at a later time, which is not possible with APK files.
APK vs App Bundle: i pro
The introduction of the App Bundle came to solve some limitations of the APK, in particular the need to download for each of them android device Also a series of resources that are not necessary for the application to run on. When using an app on a smartphone, you don’t need the resources to use it on a tablet inside the app file, but with the APK package, these resources can’t be separated when downloading from the store.
In this, the App Bundle approach is completely different: developers bundle different resources in the same logical package, but the Play Store sends to the device Requires only installation to run Exactly on this device. Each package downloaded in AAB format will be different depending on the smartphone or tablet on which it is downloaded, for apps that are lighter in size and also faster in downloading. According to Google, the AAB format reduces the size of the same app by 15% in the APK version.
APK vs App Bundle: i contro
Adopting the App Bundle format certainly has benefits for end users, but it also has drawbacks Developers that they android users More experts who download APK files directly on their smartphones, without going through the Play Store.
If the application certificate is with an internal APK of the file, then in the case of an application package, the system provides dynamic generation in the cloud of signed APK files.
This means that a developer who wants to put their app on the Play Store will have to submit a file Application signature keys. The signing process is important, as it allows Android devices to verify that updates come from the same developer who created and distributed them.
This entails greater control by Google over the apps in its store, but also Safety issues: Those who managed to hack the Play Store can use these app signing keys to distribute malicious versions containing malware and computer viruses. Furthermore, if a government or organization compels Google to release an update for a specific app, it may do so even against the developers’ advice, or Download the update on remote machines.
Moving to the App Bundle after that may also mean that The end of Android as an open ecosystem: Users may not be able to download third-party apps containing APK links directly to their device, as signing keys will only be available on Google Play Store.
