Android App Bundle (AAB)
Updraft supports Android App Bundle for app distribution.
The file format .aab is the new, official publishing format of Android with which your end-users can install your apps even more efficiently and user-friendly.
The Google Play Store uses the app bundle file to generate and deliver optimized APKs for each device configuration, so that only the Android code and resources needed for a particular device of your end user is downloaded for them. Updraft is not able to provide this feature because we do not have a reliable way with Updraft app distribution tool to detect the hardware and device information of the end user's device that is required for generating an optimized a perfect APK file.
Updraft takes advantage of Android App Bundle features to generate Universal APKs files that contain all the data needed to install your Android apps on any device. This means that some Android App Bundle features cannot be fully supported by Updraft, such as Dynamic Delivery, which allows for smaller app sizes and feature-based delivery.
Updraft uses the Android App Bundle tool provided by Android when generating the .apk files from the uploaded .aab file.
Per default the default android app bundle key settings are activated per app.
Per default the provided android bundle key from getupdraft.com is set. To deactivate it:
- 1.Go to the application settings of your app
- 2.Deactivate the AAB Default Key
First of all, you need to add you .aab settings.
- 1.Go to your app project
- 2.Select your android app
- 3.Head over to the application overview / application settings
- 4.Chose aab settings
- 5.Add all necessary information
Android App Bundle Settings
Keystore: deployment keystore (
.jks file) used to sign the APKs fileKeystore password: It's the password - can be added as plain text.
Keystore alias: It's the alias - can be added as plain text.
Key: Specifies the password for the signing key - can be added as plain text.
As soon if you have added your .aab settings you can upload your .aab file. The upload is the same as for .apk or .ipa. You have the 3 options to upload the .aab file:
- 1.Just go to your builds / app version of your app and upload your .aab file manually
- 2.Use the Upload API
- 3.or you can use one of our CI plugins
If you got an error while upload the .aab file please re-check your .aab settings on the application overview/ app settings page.
Once you have uploaded the .aab file, Updraft will convert your .aab file to an .apk using the Android App Bundle tool. So the download for your end users is exactly the same and does not need any additions.
You can always see in the build history that you initially uploaded an .aab file and you can even download it - we store it securely and encrypted in the cloud. This means you can also manage & version your .aab files with Updraft.
Last modified 5mo ago