can i open a built android app "apk" ?

[alberto.diego.chisil]

i made an apk and now i want to reopen it,

[roaminggamer]

Yes, you can extract the contents using command-line tools like you would with any APK.

You will probably need the keystore you used to sign it and you’ll need the password for that keystore.

Google ‘extract APK’ and that should get you started.

Questions:

1. Why do you want to do this?
2. What are you trying to achieve?

PS - If you’re trying to get source code or assets out of it… why?  You have them already since you built it.

[alberto.diego.chisil]

@roaminggamer

Yes, you can extract the contents using command-line tools like you would with any APK.

You will probably need the keystore you used to sign it and you’ll need the password for that keystore.

Google ‘extract APK’ and that should get you started.

Questions:

1. Why do you want to do this?
2. What are you trying to achieve?

PS - If you’re trying to get source code or assets out of it… why?  You have them already since you built it.

i knew you will say that,lol.

i just deleted some of the assets,and in general i was wondering if i can do that to other apk’s to learn their code but i guess you answered that by saying “you need the keystore”

[roaminggamer]

Also, the code won’t be average-human readable.  You can reverse-engineer to Lua code, but it won’t match the original code.  All the comments will probably be gone, etc.  I believe it will be a total mess.  (Other pros may disagree or know better, but this is what I recall).

I do not encourage you trying to extract other people’s APKs to see their code.  Aside from the fact that it is sketchy behavior, you won’t learn anything from reading the extracted code.

[rob]

You won’t learn much by looking at other people’s APKs. The code isn’t human readable.

You should not alter your own .APK’s (take out image, add them, etc.). It will screw up the code signing. You should make those adjustments in your source folders and have Corona rebuild the .APK for you.

Rob

[roaminggamer]

Yes, you can extract the contents using command-line tools like you would with any APK.

You will probably need the keystore you used to sign it and you’ll need the password for that keystore.

Google ‘extract APK’ and that should get you started.

Questions:

1. Why do you want to do this?
2. What are you trying to achieve?

PS - If you’re trying to get source code or assets out of it… why?  You have them already since you built it.

[alberto.diego.chisil]

@roaminggamer

Yes, you can extract the contents using command-line tools like you would with any APK.

You will probably need the keystore you used to sign it and you’ll need the password for that keystore.

Google ‘extract APK’ and that should get you started.

Questions:

1. Why do you want to do this?
2. What are you trying to achieve?

PS - If you’re trying to get source code or assets out of it… why?  You have them already since you built it.

i knew you will say that,lol.

i just deleted some of the assets,and in general i was wondering if i can do that to other apk’s to learn their code but i guess you answered that by saying “you need the keystore”

[roaminggamer]

Also, the code won’t be average-human readable.  You can reverse-engineer to Lua code, but it won’t match the original code.  All the comments will probably be gone, etc.  I believe it will be a total mess.  (Other pros may disagree or know better, but this is what I recall).

I do not encourage you trying to extract other people’s APKs to see their code.  Aside from the fact that it is sketchy behavior, you won’t learn anything from reading the extracted code.

[rob]

You won’t learn much by looking at other people’s APKs. The code isn’t human readable.

You should not alter your own .APK’s (take out image, add them, etc.). It will screw up the code signing. You should make those adjustments in your source folders and have Corona rebuild the .APK for you.

Rob