Google Play has introduced that new apps would require to be revealed with Android App Bundle (AAB) beginning August 2021. Moving ahead, it will exchange the APK as the usual publishing format. Google says the app bundle requirement applies to new apps solely. Existing apps are presently exempt, as are non-public apps being revealed to handle Google Play customers. The new Android App Bundle format was launched in May 2018 and is being utilized by over 1 million apps together with huge names like Adobe, Duolingo, Gameloft, Netflix, and Twitter. Majority of the highest 1,000 apps and video games use AAB.

The new Android App Bundle format optimises APKs for distribution throughout totally different machine configurations and languages. It makes the app roughly 15 p.c smaller than a common APK format. App Bundles require that apps must be no larger than 150MB, making them quicker to obtain, that not directly could result in quicker installs and fewer uninstalls. Other options that get enabled by App Bundles embrace Play Asset Delivery. This reduces person ready time by dynamically delivering massive belongings whereas chopping supply prices. Games utilizing Play Asset Delivery can use texture compression format focusing on, so customers solely get the belongings appropriate for his or her machine, with no wasted area or bandwidth.

There’s additionally Play App Signing, that’s required for app bundles, and it protects your app signing key from loss through the use of Google’s safe infrastructure and affords the choice of upgrading to a brand new, cryptographically stronger app signing key. Google says that Play App Signing will begin rolling out APK Signature Scheme v4 to pick out apps making it potential for them to optionally entry upcoming efficiency options accessible on newer gadgets.

App Bundles additionally permits Play Feature Delivery that offers you the flexibility to customize what characteristic modules are delivered to which machine and when, with set up time, conditional, and on-demand supply modes.

As talked about, new apps submitted to Google Play after August 2021 must be submitted in Android App Bundle format. It can be required to allow Play Asser Delivery or Play Feature Delivery, as a substitute of enlargement recordsdata (OBBs). Existing apps can proceed to ship updates on APK format.