About
Apktool decodes an Android package into resources and readable bytecode. Rebuild it afterwards. Reach for it to see how an app is put together, or to study its manifest.
Install it
pkg install apktool
Run this inside Termux. If the package is already present, pkg will say so and
do nothing.
Commands worth knowing
5 of the invocations you will actually reach for. Tap the copy button to put one on your clipboard.
apktool d app.apk Decode a package into a folder of resources and smali code. The starting point for any inspection. apktool d -f app.apk Decode again, overwriting the previous output folder. Saves clearing it by hand. apktool d -s app.apk Decode, but leave the bytecode files untouched. Faster when you only care about resources. apktool d -r app.apk Decode without disassembling resources. Useful when the resource step trips over an odd file. apktool b app Rebuild a package from a folder you decoded and edited. Produces a fresh installable file. Worked example
Run apktool d app.apk and this is what you should see.
$ apktool d app.apk
I: Loading resource table...
I: Decoding AndroidManifest.xml with resources...
I: Decoding file-resources...
I: Copying assets and libs... The decoded tree appears in a folder named after the input file.
Developed by
Connor Tumbleson .