Google To Soon Replace APKs With AAB: Good For Users Or Developers?

Google has officially announced that starting from August 2021 all the new apps and games that get published on the Google Play Store have to be submitted in the AAB or (Android App Bundle) format. This rule is currently only applicable for the new apps. However, the company might make it mandatory for every app to submit in the AAB format.

What Is AAB Or Android App Bundle?

Simply put, an AAB or android app bundle as the name suggests is a format to submit an app to the Google Play Store, which was originally introduced in 2018. Until now, app developers have been submitting apps in the APK format, where, everything will be compiled together.

With the AAB format, a developer has to submit an app in bits and pieces, which contains various files like different languages, different CPU architecture, different display resolution or screen density support, and more. Depending on the device, the Google Play Store will create an APK, using the pieces from the AAB, which will be much smaller in size.

This also means when a developer wants to update their app, they can only push the update to the part, which will reduce the update file size. Similarly, a developer can create an AAB instead of APK on the Android studio with just a single click, which makes it easy for developers as well.

Android Phones That Support AAB?

Any phone with Android Lollipop or the newer version of the OS will support AAB file delivery. This means, most android phones launched in the last four years should officially support AAB delivery without any issue. Phones with older Android OS will still regular Android APKs that contain all the files, which might make them a bit high in file size. Hence, it is the APK format that is finally being delivered to the users.

App Stores That Support AAB To APK Conversion?

As of now, Google Play Store is the only platform that supports AAB to APK conversion tools. However, the company has confirmed that the technology that is used to generate an APK from AAB is open-source and will be available to everyone for free of cost. However, as of now, none of the third-party Android app stores support AABs.

This Might Curb App Piracy

Most of the paid and premium Android apps are now available on piracy websites for free of cost. With the AAB format, a piracy website might face the heat, as the AAB format will only be accessible by the developers, and it is almost impossible to download APKs of all different variants. Hence, a developer can make a choice on where her/his apps should be available.

Should Developers And Users Be Worried?

AAB file format is not as evil as it sounds, at least for the users and developers. A user will get smaller apps and games, which will save internet and storage while the developer can make sure that his app/game will only be available on genuine platforms. Hence, this AAB format does seem like a win-win situation for both.