How to build a big app → APK max. 100 MB or → AAB 150 MB

Steps to build a big app for

  1. APK → max. 100 MB or
  2. AAB → max. 150 MB (new, added on Aug 31, 2021)

1. APK (Note: apps that were released before Aug 1, 2021 can still use APKs !)

You can use e.g. APK Editor Studio for that.
First download the keystore “android.keystore” from your Kodular account and rename it to: “android.ks

  1. remove some big files (png, jpg, mp3, wav, …) from the assets (AIA < 20 MB, better < 5 MB)
  2. build APK
  3. decompile APK
  4. (re)insert the missing files to the assets
  5. recompile your app
  6. sign APK

Video tutorial (APK Editor Studio):

2. AAB (Note: For new apps you must use AABs.)

  1. Export your keystore (android.keystore)
  2. Remove some big files (png, jpg, mp3, wav, …) from the assets (AIA < 20 MB, better < 5 MB)
  3. Build the AAB
  4. Open the AAB with 7-Zip or WinRAR and (re)insert the missing files to the assets
  5. Sign the AAB (→ Java JDK 8):
    jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA256withRSA -digestalg SHA-256 -keystore
    android.keystore appName.aab androidkey -signedjar appName_signed.aab
  6. Upload AAB to the Play Store

42 Likes

I am trying to build an small app for my big app

Yes, that is always a good idea and desirable.

But sometimes you don’t want to allow users direct access to (media) files. Therefore, it is the only way to have them in the app package (assets). In this way, you cannot access them without rooting the device.

So my apps were all built this way (not available worldwide):


https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=BodyMindPower

8 Likes

Your all apps size are quite large. Some people are use limited data. So they wouldn’t try to install your app

As you can see, all of my apps are paid apps. In the past 6 years no one has ever complained about the size of the apps, neither in the Play Store nor in the App Store (iOS apps, 130-175 MB).

Modern Android devices usually have an internal storage of at least 128 GB. So it shouldn’t be a problem.

8 Likes

All paid apps and all of them have rating above 4.5!? That is really impressive! Congrats Anke!
On a side note, I might have to use one of your apps. My Fitbit is telling me I’m sleeping between 3 to 5 hours most of the days. :flushed:

9 Likes

are all apps made by kodular ?

No, some were created with App Inventor. But most will soon be updated with Kodular because gapless looping (music, nature sound) no longer works on some Chinese devices with the TaifunPlayer. However, there are no problems with the ExoPlayer.

3 Likes

I use too exoplayer because is speed and work good, even when it was with a lot of bugs…

I think 4 hours of sleep should really be enough … when I was young I actually didn’t sleep at all. :wink:

7 Likes

What are you using for iOS apps? Thunkable?

Xcode & Swift

Hi
Since last update of kodular recompiling with apptomarket doesn’t work any more…
Can you please check on your side if it works ?
thank you very much

App2Market is outdated

It is still working when i work on an APK I built 2 months ago. But with my new APK it doesn’t work. So something changed in these 2 months.
Is there something i can do ?
Do i have to learn to work with APK Editor Studio ? (have almost 600 assets to add !!)
Thank you

It’s better to move forward and use newer programs for it…

Well It’s still doable to make it work, but it’s not worth doing it…

2 Likes

Hi
I did it :slight_smile: it was not so hard
Little twinge for Apptomarket
Thank you for your help

1 Like

Yes, for me A2M also works after the last Kodular update.

Yes, but it’s still working using the current apktool.jar version (at least for me).

Of course …

Worked !!! Thank you so much :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :pray: :pray: :pray:

2 Likes

Thanks a lot!! :grin:

It was not opening the apk file in the apk editor studio initially… later on i understood that for using this you must have [Java ≥ 8]

Got this from the requirements of downloading the apk editor studio from
https://qwertycube.com/apk-editor-studio/download/