Google Reportedly Stops Generating Fat APKs, Making Sideloading Android Apps More Tedious

Google introduced the Android App Bundle (AAB) at the I/O 2018 event, enabling developers to build their applications as bundles as a more efficient way of delivering them to users. Courtesy of this change, Google Play Store only downloaded the specific portions it needed on smartphones and other devices during app installation, potentially saving storage space. However, this only applied to those apps downloaded via the Play Store, with sideloading apps still requiring the installation of fat Android Application Packages (APKs). A recent claim on social media suggests that the process of sideloading may have got a bit more tedious due to recent changes made by the company.

Sideloading Android Apps

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Artem Russakovskii, the founder of APK hosting platform APKMirror, claimed that Google had stopped generating fat APKs for many apps. This means users who wish to install APK files will need to download bundles. While fat APKs can be installed by simply downloading a large APK file from the official websites or third-party sources, bundles often require an extra step.

To install these types of packages, third-party tools will now be required, such as Split APKs Installer (SAI). As per the claims, many of the apps will only be available in a bundle format, requiring users to download these tools before being able to install the APK on their device.

Why It Matters

According to Google, fat APKs carried compatibility for several devices depending on their screen size, CPU architecture and more. This enabled developers to create a single package file instead of having to release multiple packages for various device types. While bundling everything in a single fat APK was said to make it easier for users to download, it led to unused content occupying a chunk of storage space on the device which could have been used for alternate purposes.

This problem is claimed to be tackled by Google's AAB. Instead of cramming requirements for all devices in a single fat APK, Google Play Store only downloads a portion of the file it needs to run the program on that particular device, leading to a reduction in the space occupied by the application.