Android App Bundles: I was really happy when I first learned about this new upload structure known as the App Bundle! Many of the problems faced by developers, such as creating APKs to target multiple versions of APIs, system forms, and so on, are now moved on to Google Play.
Developers will be able to use Dynamic Distribution from this day on to build customized APKs that fulfill the specifications of consumer devices and deliver them for download during the runtime.
All this is being achieved via the distribution format of the Android app bundle app. Let us delve into what the new, official publishing style of Android is all about.
What are Android App Bundles?
An Android App Bundle is a publishing package that contains all the code and tools compiled for your app and defers APK creation and Google Play signing.
To create and serve customized APKs for each device configuration, Google Play uses the app package, meaning only the code and resources that are required for a particular device are downloaded to run your app.
To optimize support for various devices, you no longer have to create, sign, and maintain multiple APKs, and users get smaller, more customized downloads.
For Android distribution, AAB, which stands for Android App Bundle, is a more recent style. The official documentation of Android gives the following definition:
“An Android App Bundle is a publishing format that includes all the code and resources compiled by your app, and defers APK generation and Google Play signing.”
These packages of software are pretty recent, launched in Google I/O 2018. They are going to reach two years of age. But ever since, they’ve been the official format for Android app publishing.
Much like APK is an extension, the extension (.aab) is also present in AAB directories.
The (Why-Why’s) for Businesses – Android App Bundles
There are countless benefits of the alternative live size optimization, enhanced installations, etc.
Let’s look at a few of them!
The smaller size of apps
App size has long been a significant consideration. The software kit aims to minimize the size of applications with no new code written and with no need to use tools.
A variety of popular applications have tested it out and have now reduced their app size from 1% to almost 50%.
More installations and fewer uninstallations
Growing the size of applications would not matter much if our smartphones had infinite capacity. But that’s not the truth, as we know. The number of installations reduces as the size of an interface grows!
The app installs would improve as a ripple effect of size savings with the aid of the Xamarin android app kit. This has led to a rise in upgrade speeds and a much lower number of uninstallations.
Easier and faster downloads
Google Play will fine-tune the app to each device, which ensures that the process of uploading and updating the app is quicker along with the downloads on the consumer side.
Enhanced Efficiency
Android’s app bundle creation helps you to produce one artifact that contains all the accumulated code, tools, and native libraries of your app.
So, for multiple APKs, you are no longer required to create, sign, upload, and maintain version codes. Hence, if you install an android app pack on your computer, productivity is improved.
Integration of codes – Android App Bundles
You will optimize for the 64-bit requirement without increasing the size of the app with the aid of the Android studio app bundle. As a result, for each computer, Play will provide the necessary native code needed.
Enhanced Development Speeds
The whole process of making an app is accelerated. From the development of complex and autonomous modules to their configuration, testing, and release. With the android app bundle unit, the tech velocity gets a big boost.
The Book My Show app, for instance, reported that their app builds time (without caching on a brand-new build) went down by 70 percent because it only dumps every resource into the package of app packages, rather than segregating them, such as with APKs.
Minimizes manual labor – Android App Bundles
Several manual efforts can be fully automated during the production of Android applications. If the production is completed, the link is immediately posted and shared on a special Slack channel. It does not need any manual intervention.
Enablement of Dynamic Delivery
App bundles have exposed us to a crazy innovation known as dynamic delivery. At the time of installation, conditional functionality can be delivered depending on properties such as application features (e.g., AR/VR), the country of the user, or the version of the device.
Instead of installation time, users are also given the facility to add features in an on-demand model. The features that they no longer use may even be uninstalled.
This would help consumers tailor their experience according to their specifications. If you do not want to raise the scale of your app in the long run, this will also come in handy.
In comparison, it helps us to reduce the initial size of our application and then provide added functionality to consumers who will potentially need them.
Concluding,
We would like to say that for both of us, the future has a lot in store and it is up to us to keep up with it! We can assure you without any hesitation that the bundles of Android applications are where the future lies.
As an app development company for any platform, we will help you stay ahead of the competition. We at Yugasa, have the best team of app developers who have developed many successful projects for a lot of well-known brands and businesses.