Android Bundletool Installation and Usage Guide

What is Bundletool?#

Bundletool is Google’s official command-line tool for working with Android App Bundles (.aab files) and APKs. It allows developers to:

• Convert App Bundles to APK sets
• Generate APKs optimized for specific device configurations
• Install APKs directly to connected devices
• Extract information from App Bundles

Installation Guide#

Prerequisites#

• Java 8 or higher installed on your system
• Android device with USB debugging enabled (for installation)
• Android Debug Bridge (ADB) installed and configured

Installing Bundletool#

1. Download the latest bundletool JAR file:

   curl -L https://github.com/google/bundletool/releases/download/1.18.1/bundletool-all-1.18.1.jar -o bundletool.jar

   Note: Check the GitHub releases page for the latest version.

2. Make bundletool easier to use (optional but recommended):

   Create an alias in your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile):

   echo 'alias bundletool="java -jar $HOME/path/to/bundletool.jar"' >> ~/.zshrc
   source ~/.zshrc

   Alternatively, create a shell script:

   echo '#!/bin/bash
   java -jar $HOME/path/to/bundletool.jar "$@"' > /usr/local/bin/bundletool
   chmod +x /usr/local/bin/bundletool

3. Verify installation:

   bundletool --help

   Or if you didn’t set up an alias:

   java -jar bundletool.jar --help

Using Bundletool to Install APKs#

Method 1: Installing from an App Packages (.apks)#

1. Install the APK set to a connected device:

   bundletool install-apks --apks=YourApp.apks

   If you have multiple devices connected:

   bundletool install-apks --apks=YourApp.apks --device-id=device_serial_number

Troubleshooting#

Common Issues#

1. “Command not found” error:

   • Ensure Java is installed and in your PATH
   • Check that the bundletool alias or script is correctly set up

Resources#

• Official Bundletool Documentation
• GitHub Repository
• Android Developers Guide to App Bundles