Google’s Android has been utilizing APKs (Android utility package deal) as the usual format for apps since day one. As of now, you may simply discover APK information on-line and sideload them to your system, even once they’re not accessible within the Play Retailer. Quickly, that is probably not the case.
Google launched the Android App Bundle format in 2018 to deal with a few of the points with the APK format, and now it’s making it the usual format for apps within the Play Retailer.
Right here, we will spotlight extra about it and what advantages or downsides this transfer brings to the Android ecosystem.
Android App Bundle Is Set to Substitute the APK
As per the official documentation, Google mentions that the brand new format will probably be necessary for brand new functions beginning August 2021, changing the present APK format.
Whereas there are an excessive amount of common apps from Adobe, Duolingo, and others already utilizing the Android App Bundle format, Google has not clarified if different current apps will probably be transformed to the brand new format anytime quickly.
Google says that will probably be extraordinarily simple for builders to publish apps within the app bundle format.
Advantages of Utilizing App Bundle As an alternative of APKs
The App Bundle format goals to supply advantages over APK information to each builders and customers. Allow us to spotlight a number of of them.
Improved Safety for the Android Platform
Whereas it’s simple to distribute APK information and to sideload apps, it is likely one of the most typical methods Android will get affected by malware.
Customers find yourself putting in modified apps solely to search out that their system has been compromised ultimately. Additionally, there are a whole bunch of APK websites on the market, however just a few which might be protected to make use of. So it’s simple to get confused the place to get a real APK to put in.
You’ll be able to confer with our checklist of protected websites for APK downloads, in case you want.
With Android App Bundle, you might not have the ability to simply discover APK information. Which means that you don’t have to fret about malicious APK information. Therefore, it might assure that extra customers depend on the official Google Play Retailer to securely set up software program.
Not only for customers, Google will even let builders retailer their app signing keys (that verifies the integrity and authenticity of the app) utilizing Google’s safe infrastructure, as a part of the advantages to Android App Bundle.
Lowered App Obtain Dimension
With App Bundle, Google generates and optimizes APKs of an app for numerous units/configurations within the Play Retailer. Therefore, it makes the app smaller than it was with out the bundle format.
And smaller app sizes make it simple for customers to obtain off the Play Retailer, even with a poor web connection. You also needs to have the ability to save extra space for storing in your Android system.
Simpler for Downloading Massive Video games
With an APK package deal, it’s essential to individually obtain the property wanted for a recreation bigger than 150 MB, which is normally saved in a special folder.
This will likely have been strategy, the place the thing information (OBB) stay separate and let customers copy it to a special system simply when migrating. However it was not a safe methodology as a result of the asset information had been saved within the app’s exterior storage.
With App Bundle, the developer could make the whole factor accessible from the Play Retailer, which is each simple and safe.
You not must obtain the additional information of a recreation individually—all the things could be downloaded and put in proper from the Play Retailer. This additionally makes the updates to these video games smaller, which is a win for Android players.
Is There Any Draw back to This Transfer?
Though not each current app is transformed to make use of the App Bundle, new one will probably be shifting away from it. For Android builders, it might be time-consuming to redistribute apps on different Android shops like Amazon Appstore.
Whereas it’s a reduction to not discover malicious APK information, it might be an inconvenience to not discover APK information, which might make sideloading apps extra sophisticated. However, ultimately, we could find yourself seeing extra advantages than issues.
