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Created February 20, 2015 16:14
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How to change the version number on an existing APK without re-building
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apk-change-version-number.md

This requires the latest version of apktool.

apktool d $APK_PATH -o $OUTPUT_FOLDER

# Open the apktool.yml text file
# Alter the versionCode and versionName entries

# now rebuild!
apktool build $OUTPUT_FOLDER 

# next you need to re-sign the apk with the original keystore file
jarsigner -verbose -keystore $KEYSTORE_PATH -storepass $KEYSTORE_PASSWORD -keypass $KEYSTORE_KEY_PASSWORD $APK_PATH $KEYSTORE_KEY_NAME
~/android-sdk/build-tools/21.1.1/zipalign  -v 4 $APK_PATH $APK_OUT_PATH
@benvium
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benvium commented Feb 20, 2015

This technique is useful if you want to 'roll back' an Android app.

@billyjoker
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billyjoker commented Feb 22, 2017 •
edited

Hi' i've followed your steps but i can not get the updated generated apk, i mean, the last step i've got is rebuilding the apk:

C:\Users\APKTOOL>apktool build C:\APKTOOL\updatedversioncode
I: Using Apktool 2.2.2
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building apk file...
I: Copying unknown files/dir...

And no more...

EDIT:
I've figured out that the apk is in /dist folder and in addition i can specify a new output path using -o,--output

@sajidtassu
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How to download

@KhuramOzi
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after building Unsigned APK if I try to run on mobile it doesn't install.error popup indicates
"There was a Problem parsing the Package".
any solutions.and when I try to re-sign it shows illegal option -v.

@Pamblam
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Pamblam commented Jul 31, 2018

@KhumarOzzie

the last two lines are in fact two lines. if you thought they were word wrapped and put them on the same line you get illegal option error.

@AndreiTelteu
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Works fine !
If you don't have the apktool command, download it here: https://ibotpeaches.github.io/Apktool/install/
And if play store gives you some error like signature not supported you should add this option to the jarsigner command: -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1
So that command becomes:

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore $KEYSTORE_PATH -storepass $KEYSTORE_PASSWORD -keypass $KEYSTORE_KEY_PASSWORD $APK_PATH $KEYSTORE_KEY_NAME

@acro5piano
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acro5piano commented Jul 16, 2019 •
edited

Thank you @AndreiTelteu

We can install apktool using homebrew:

brew install apktool

@KyleSforza
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How to find keystore file?

@icmacdonald
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Hello

This is very useful! However when I upload to the playstore I get this error:

This release is not compliant with the Google Play 64-bit requirement.
The following APKs or app bundles are available to 64-bit devices, but they only have 32-bit native code: [17001]
Include 64-bit and 32-bit native code in your app. Use the Android App Bundle publishing format to automatically ensure that each device architecture receives only the native code that it needs. This avoids increasing the overall size of your app

How do I build using the apktool to be 64bit compliant?

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