How to Download Apksigner
If you are an Android developer, you probably know that before you can distribute your app, you need to sign it with a digital certificate. This ensures that your app is authentic and has not been tampered with by anyone else.
But how do you sign your app? One way is to use apksigner, a tool that lets you sign APKs and confirm that their signature will be verified successfully on all versions of the Android platform supported by those APKs.
download apksigner
In this article, we will show you how to download apksigner, how to use it, and what are some alternatives to it.
What is Apksigner?
Apksigner is a tool that is part of the Android SDK Build Tools, which are a collection of tools that help you develop, debug, and test your Android apps.
Apksigner allows you to sign APKs using different signing schemes, such as v1 (JAR signing), v2 (APK Signature Scheme v2), v3 (APK Signature Scheme v3), or v4 (APK Signature Scheme v4).
Signing your app with different schemes has different benefits, such as faster app installation, better security, and compatibility with newer Android versions.
Apksigner also allows you to verify the signature of an APK, which means checking if the APK has been signed correctly and if it will be accepted by the Android platform.
Additionally, apksigner allows you to rotate signing keys, which means changing the key that is used to sign your app without breaking its update compatibility.
How to download apksigner tool from Android Studio
Download apksigner for Windows, Mac, or Linux
Download apksigner jar file and run it from command line
Download apksigner source code from GitHub and build it yourself
Download apksigner alternative tools such as jarsigner or signapk
Download apksigner documentation and tutorials
Download apksigner latest version and changelog
Download apksigner and sign APKs using JAR signing scheme
Download apksigner and sign APKs using APK Signature Scheme v2
Download apksigner and sign APKs using multiple signers
Download apksigner and verify the signature of APKs
Download apksigner and rotate signing keys for APKs
Download apksigner and troubleshoot common signing errors
Download apksigner and optimize APK signing performance
Download apksigner and customize signing options
Download apksigner and compare it with other signing tools
Download apksigner and learn about APK signing best practices
Download apksigner and understand APK signing security implications
Download apksigner and support different Android platform versions
Download apksigner and integrate it with your build system
Download apksigner and automate APK signing process
Download apksigner and sign APKs for Google Play Store distribution
Download apksigner and sign APKs for testing or debugging purposes
Download apksigner and sign APKs for sideloading or sharing
Download apksigner and sign APKs for different app configurations or variants
Download apksigner and sign APKs with different certificates or keystores
Download apksigner and sign APKs with different algorithms or parameters
Download apksigner and sign APKs with different metadata or attributes
Download apksigner and sign APKs with different alignment or compression options
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Download apksigner and sign APKs with different permissions or policies
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Download apksigner and sign APKs with different dependencies or libraries
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Download apksigner and sign APKs with different formats or extensions
How to Install Apksigner?
To install apksigner, you need to have the Android SDK Build Tools installed on your computer. You can install them using different methods depending on your operating system.
Windows
If you are using Windows, you can install the Android SDK Build Tools using the , which is an integrated development environment (IDE) for Android development.
To do so, follow these steps:
Download and install Android Studio from .
Launch Android Studio and click on Tools > SDK Manager.
Select
To sign an APK using apksigner, you can use the following command:
apksigner sign --ks --ks-key-alias --out
Where:
is the path to your signing key and certificate file.
is the alias of your signing key and certificate.
is the path to the signed APK file that you want to create.
is the path to the unsigned APK file that you want to sign.
You can also use different options to specify the signing scheme, the digest algorithm, the signature algorithm, the min and max SDK versions, and other parameters. For a full list of options, you can use the --help option or refer to the .
Verify the Signature of an APK
To verify the signature of an APK using apksigner, you can use the following command:
apksigner verify --verbose
Where:
is the path to the APK file that you want to verify.
This command will print out information about the signature of the APK, such as the signing scheme, the digest algorithm, the signature algorithm, and whether the signature is verified or not.
You can also use different options to check for specific criteria, such as whether the APK is signed for all supported platforms, whether it has a v4 signature, whether it has a source stamp, and so on. For a full list of options, you can use the --help option or refer to the .
Rotate Signing Keys
To rotate signing keys using apksigner, you can use the following command:
apksigner sign --next-signing-key --next-signing-key-pass --out
Where:
is the path to your new signing key and certificate file.
is the password of your new signing key and certificate.
is the path to the signed APK file that you want to create.
is the path to the APK file that you want to sign with your old and new keys.
This command will sign your APK with both your old and new keys, which will allow you to update your app without losing any users. However, this will also increase the size of your APK by adding an extra signature block. You can remove this block once all your users have updated to the new version of your app.
Alternatives to Apksigner
If you don't want to use apksigner, there are some alternatives that you can use to sign your APKs. However, they may have some drawbacks or limitations compared to apksigner. Here are some of them:
Jarsigner
Jarsigner is a tool that is part of the Java Development Kit (JDK), which is a collection of tools that help you develop Java applications. Jarsigner allows you to sign JAR files, which are similar to APK files in structure.
To sign an APK using jarsigner, you can use the following command:
jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore
The parameters are similar to those of apksigner, except for -sigalg and -digestalg, which specify the signature algorithm and the digest algorithm respectively.
The advantage of jarsigner is that it is widely available and easy to use. However, it only supports v1 signing scheme, which means that it may not work for newer Android versions or devices. Therefore, it is not recommended for modern Android development.
Uber Apk Signer is a tool that is developed by , a software engineer and Android enthusiast. Uber Apk Signer allows you to sign APKs using v1 or v2 signing scheme, as well as zipalign and optimize them.
To sign an APK using Uber Apk Signer, you can use the following command:
java -jar uber-apk-signer.jar -a -o --ks --ksAlias
The parameters are similar to those of apksigner, except for -a, which specifies the path to the APK file or folder that you want to sign, and -o, which specifies the path to the output folder where the signed APK will be saved.
The advantage of Uber Apk Signer is that it can sign multiple APKs at once, which is useful for batch signing. It also has some additional features, such as zipaligning, optimizing, overriding the package name, and more. However, it does not support v3 or v4 signing scheme, which means that it may not work for some Android versions or devices. Therefore, it is not a complete replacement for apksigner.
Android Studio
Android Studio is an IDE for Android development that provides many tools and features to help you create, test, and debug your apps. One of these tools is the , which allows you to sign your APKs using v2 signing scheme.
To sign an APK using Android Studio, you can follow these steps:
Open your project in Android Studio and click on Build > Generate Signed Bundle / APK.
Select APK and click on Next.
Select or create a signing key and certificate and click on Next.
Select the build variants and signature versions and click on Finish.
The signed APK will be generated in the /app/release/ folder.
The advantage of Android Studio is that it is a fully integrated development environment that offers many other tools and features for Android development. It also supports v2 signing scheme, which is compatible with most Android versions and devices. However, it does not support v1, v3, or v4 signing scheme, which means that it may not work for some scenarios or requirements. Therefore, it is not a universal solution for signing APKs.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download apksigner, a tool that lets you sign APKs and confirm their signature. We have also shown you how to use apksigner to sign, verify, and rotate signing keys for your APKs. Finally, we have given you some alternatives to apksigner and their pros and cons.
We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between signing an APK and zipaligning an APK?
Signing an APK means adding a digital certificate to the APK file that proves its authenticity and integrity. Zipaligning an APK means aligning the uncompressed data within the APK file on 4-byte boundaries, which improves the performance and memory usage of the app.
How can I check if my APK is signed correctly?
You can use apksigner or any other tool that can verify the signature of an APK. You can also try to install your APK on an emulator or a device and see if it works without any errors.
How can I change the package name of my APK?
You can use Uber Apk Signer or any other tool that can override the package name of an APK. You can also change the package name in your Android manifest file or in your build.gradle file before building your APK.
How can I reduce the size of my APK?
You can use different methods to reduce the size of your APK, such as removing unused resources, shrinking your code, optimizing your images, using webp format, splitting your APK into multiple modules, using app bundles, and so on.
How can I update my app without losing any users?
You can use apksigner or any other tool that can rotate signing keys for your APK. This means that you can change the key that is used to sign your app without breaking its update compatibility. However, you should only do this if your old key is compromised or lost, and you should remove the old key from your APK once all your users have updated to the new version of your app.
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