After many years with us, the APK format will disappear from the Play Store for the month of August. Google ends its life after a prudent time has passed and decides to announce AAB (Android App Bundle), a new format that is certainly much less heavy at first and will end much of the piracy.
Developers who want to keep working will have to adapt to AAB, for this they still have about two months ahead. It is a prudent time, especially knowing that the new compilation is going to change with respect to the standard that is currently with us.
Greater understanding
Dom Elliot, manager of Google Play, in the official blog entry explains that from the month of August the sending of APK applications will not be accepted. This forces you to use AAB, which on the other hand will occupy much less than natural APKs, something that will relieve the memory of the phones.
Android App Bundle (AAB) applications reduces the size by 15%, which in the long run will be favorable for those people who usually install different apps on their phones. The user will only download what is necessary, being some resources not as heavy as it happens up to now.
The person will benefit, since they will take advantage of the processor and graphics used by the mobile device, never overloading the terminal. The version will be customized, everything as long as it recognizes the hardware, so it differs from a less powerful phone to one with a higher power.
AAB fights against piracy
The AAB (Android App Bundle) will fight against piracyIt is difficult for applications and games to become free when they have a cost from the developer. For this, a file will be used in a limited way that, despite being extracted, will not be so easy to modify.
Modified applications cannot be read on any phone, so even if it is a hacked tool it will not be supported by every smartphone. The algorithms will play a lot here, that is why the AAB format hits the Play Store, all after being introduced in 2018.
Developers have work ahead, especially if you want to update and import your work again so that it is available in the Google Play store. The AAB will be required here, but not outside the store, which is why the APK format will continue to be seen on some portals.
Little work required for conversion
Google, through the blog post, says that 'for most applications, very little work is required to create an AAB instead of an APK. It's mainly about choosing a different option at build time and then testing this as normal. The app bundle is an open source format compatible with major build tools like Android Studio, Gradle, Bazel, Buck, Cocos Creator, Unity, Unreal Engine, and other engines. The Play Core Native and Play Core Java & Kotlin SDKs.
Many companies already have part of their tools exported to AAB, among them some known as Adobe, Gameloft, Duolingo, Netflix, redBus, Twitter and Riafy. Among them, many more will appear throughout the month of July., hoping that in the month of August at least more than 60% will adapt.
Once you want to download a file from the Play Store the file will become AAB instead of APK, so do not be alert if you start to see it back in August. Despite not having an exact date, it will be in the first weeks of that month when we begin to see that format.
A necessary change
Google has been working for years to replace the APK with the AAB formatIt has been a little over three years of testing, testing and corrections. It is a further step forward for developers, as they want to see their work rewarded, as some have been losing a lot of money due to piracy.
The company wanted to break the news days after the first ones were seen by large companies, including the microblogging social network Twitter, but it is not the only one. Others are already working on being able to convert from format quickly to have it available in just over a month.
This will also allow the company to work in a format that will give a leap in quality and will be beneficial for all parties, including it. Google sees AAB as an ideal option for all developers, including specific people who have at least one or more apps hanging.
Some applications may be left out, all depending on whether or not they will update to be inside, it remains to be seen how the first response from developers in general is.