How to test .aab file on Android device

With Android App Bundles (AAB) becoming the standard formatting for publishing apps on Google Play, developers need a dependable way to test them before release.

This article explores the Android App Bundle (AAB), its purpose, working mechanics, and creation process. It besides continue try AAB file, differences between AAB and APK, and how to convert AAB to APK.

What is Android App Bundle (aab)?

An Android App Bundle or aab is a publication file format that includes all your application ’ s compiled codification and resources. It defers APK generation and signing to Google Play.

The developer uploads the app to the Google Play Store in aab format, with the exploiter downloading it from their smartphone as usual. With a closer inspection, you will observe that there is no difference in the way the apps are installed since the smartphone will still download the APK file from the Google Play Store. The difference here dwell in what we callresources.Resources are everything in an app that is not a programming code, such as Language files, images, audio, etc.

Why Android App Bundle (aab) was built?

App Size matters to every concern:

• Lower conversion rates
• Slower downloads
• Higher uninstalls
• Low update rates

Size rescue because of Android App Bundles

How perform the Android App Bundle employment?

In the Universal APK, a developer upload a Universal APK to Google Play. A user so downloads this Universal APK. The size of the downloaded app will be the same as that of the uploaded app. In the case of the Android App Bundle, Google Play will render an optimized APK in terms of the size and spec of the user ’ s twist. It also free the generated APK file instead of the developers. In this way, a good AAB can save the disk usage of an Android device. As per Google, AAB can save an norm of 35 % of disk custom as compared to Universal APK.

Let & # 8217; s take an example:

Assume your smartphone has only Full HD resolution with English as the gimmick language. So, when you are installing any app from the Play Store, you will receive an APK with only Full HD material and an English language pack. With the help of Google ’ sbundletooltool, AAB file can be topically converted into APK file.

Creating an Android App Bundle (AAB File)

An Android App Bundle can be created either via the command line or Android Studio.

Building on the command line

Open the command line and run the bundle tasks using the below command.

./gradlew bundleRelease

Locate your bundle in your application ’ s build directory. The nonpayment location isapp/build/outputs/bundle/release.This pile needs to be signed utilisejarsignerusing the command

jarsigner -keystore $ pathToKeystore app-release.aab $ keyAlias

(Replace thekeyStore and keyAliasvariable with literal value of the keyStore and password). The bundle will be sign and ready for upload to the Play Store.

Building on Android Studio

Step 1:  Go to Android Studio - & gt; Build - & gt; Generate Signed Bundle.Select Android App Bundle on the pop blind and select Next.

Step 2: Enter the KeyStoreitinerary where the KeyStore is stored or Create a new KeyStore as see below.

Step 4:Select the release mode from the list and select finish.

Now, you experience a subscribe app megabucks ready. In the Destination folder, there will be a.aab file. This is your Bundle file, and this can now be upload and print on the Play Store.

How to test Android App Bundle?

After generate your Android App Bundle, you should try how Google Play uses it to give APKs and how those APKs carry when deployed to a device.

There are two ways to test your app packet:

1. Testing locally using thebundletool
2. Testing topically via the Google Play Console

For autonomous testing across multiple user personas, check out SUSATest — it explores your app like 10 different real users.

In this article, the first method will be used for examine our Android app megabucks.

With BrowserStack, one can try using.

Pre-requisites

Following are the prerequisite needed before starting with the testing:

• An Android exam device
• Any Unzipping tool like 7-zip
• bundletool

bundletoolis an underlying tool that is used by Android Studio and Google Play to build an Android App Bundle, which is then convert into various APKs that are deploy to device.bundletoolis also available as a command-line tool so that one can make app bundles by themselves and recreate Google Play ’ s server-side anatomy of the app ’ s APK.

Follow the below steps to essay Android App Bundle:

Step 1: Download bundletoolfrom GitHub repository

Step 2:Generate an APK Set archive (.apks) from your app sheaf file. To generate an APK set for all gimmick conformation supported by your app, use the following command (both your app bundle file andbundletoolshould be in the same placement for the below command to work):

java -jar `` bundletool-all-1.10.0.jar '' build-apks -- bundle= '' app-release.aab '' -- output= '' app.apks ''

The output will be something like this:

The above command will be signed with the debug keyStore value. If you want to give keyStore parameter like keyStore file or pass to generate signed APKs, use the following bidding:

java -jar `` bundletool-all-1.10.0.jar '' build-apks -- bundle= '' app-release.aab '' -- output= '' app.apks '' -- ks= & lt; your keystore route & gt; -- ks-pass=pass: & lt; your parole & gt; -- ks-key-alias= & lt; your KeyAlias & gt; -- key-pass=pass: & lt; your password & gt;

You will see.apksfile generated in the same folder.

Step 3:Check the substance of the.apksfile by convert the.apksfile into zip file and then extracting its contents utilize 7-zip

Step 4:Inside the app folder, you will be able to see a folder called “ splits ” which consists of a act of APK files. You can also see that the app base module has been split up based on display size, language etc.

After generating a set of APKs,bundletoolcan deploy the right combination of APKs from that set to a connected twist.

For illustration, if you are connected to a device using Android 5.0 (API Level 21) or above,bundletoolpushing the base APK, feature faculty APKs and configuration APKs require to run the app on that device.

Talk to an Expert

Step 5 (Optional):If you are planning to install all the APKs locally from the APK set, use the command (in the folder path where your .apks is present):

bundletool-all-1.10.0.jar install-apks -- apks=app.apks

Step 6 (Optional): If you require to generate a device specific set of APKs as discussed above, use the following command (employ Pixel XL for my testing):

bundletool-all-1.10.0.jar build-apks -- connected-device -- bundle= & lt; Path of your aab & gt; -- output= & lt; PathForTheOutput & gt;

Step 7 (Optional): If you want to generate a gimmick specific set of APKs as discussed above using JSON file, use the next command:

bundletool-all-1.10.0.jar get-device-spec -- output=/tmp/device-spec.json

The above bidding make a JSON file for your device in the directory where the tool is situate. Based on this JSON file, the bundletool will make a set of APKs. Use the following command:

bundletool build-apks-- device-spec=/MyApp/pixelXL.json -- bundle=/MyApp/my_app.aab -- output=/MyApp/my_app.apks

Difference between APK and AAB Files

While APK file can be downloaded on an Android Device, AAB Files are imply for publication. You need to convert AAB file to set of APK files (apks) usingbundletoolto make it downloadable on an Android Device.

How to convert AAB to APK file?

If you want to convertaab to apkfile, so you can usebundletool. In the previous subdivision,bundletoolwas used to create.apksfiles or & # 8220;splits& # 8220;. While these.apksfiles are APK Set Archive file, they are a set of several APK files of all the device configurations. However, having several Debug APK files can be confusing, which is why it is crucial to make a queer APK file that can be easily installed.

To create APK from AAB without losing its portability, you can usebundletool.

Step 1 Download bundletoolfrom GitHub repository

Step 2 With bundletoolCreate a singleuniversal.apkfile using the following command

bundletool build-apks -- mode=universal -- bundle=/MyApp/my_app.aab -- output=/MyApp/my_app.apks

This universal.apkfile can be easily installed on all Android devices.

Test AAB Files on Android Using BrowserStack

Android devices do not support direct installation of AAB (Android App Bundle) register. To test an AAB file, you first need to convert it into an APK, and so upload it to BrowserStack for examine on existent Android devices.

Step 1: Convert AAB to APK

As explained in the above subdivision, use bundletool to render an APK from your AAB file. Once you hold the APK, proceed with screen on BrowserStack.

Step 2: Upload and Test on BrowserStack

• Log in to and navigate to the upload section.
• Upload the born-again APK file manually or using BrowserStack ’ s API.
• Select a existent Android device from the available list and start testing.
• Perform manual or automated prove to check app functionality, UI, and performance.

allows seamless testing on without the need for physical hardware. By upload the converted APK, developers can ensure compatibility across respective devices.

With built-in debugging puppet like real-time logs and wreck reports, teams can identify and fix issue quickly. The cloud-based setup likewise enable efficient collaborationism and mechanisation, speeding up the testing process for a flawless experience.

Conclusion

The AAB file are much pocket-sized than the APK files so much so that you will be able to see a 35 % reduction in the app size on an average. Another benefit for the developers is increase security since App modification is difficult in this case. Difficulty in App modification lies in the fact that the app signing is mainly done by Google rather of the developer. App updates and development process has also go easygoing, which has led to the prevention of broken updates in the future or still mitigating their effects.

However, no matter whether you choose AAB or APK file to quiz your Android Apps, it is always advisable to essay them on real devices for better truth of test. By examine on a secure like BrowserStack, you get the liberty to prove on different devices available in the market, which would help in testing under. Hence, you ’ ll be able to place chokepoint in the exploiter experience and resolve them for a seamless and consistent user experience across all devices.

Moreover, it allow you to automate tests by using framework like, and that can be easily integrated with democratic CICD pipelines such as, Travis CI,, Github, Bamboo, etc. to leverage Teams. It also allows QAs to for a faster testing process.

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