.APKS File Extension
APK Set Archive
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What is an APKS file?
An APKS file is an APK set archive that contains a set of .APK files optimized for different Android devices, targeting specific screen sizes, CPU architectures, or language settings. APKS files are saved in a ZIP-based format, which means you can extract their contents with many standard file compression tools.
More Information
Developers typically create APKS files using bundletool, an official command-line utility maintained by Google. It works with Android App Bundles (.AAB files) to generate sets of APKs tailored for different devices. For example, developers can build an APKS file using a command like:
bundletool build-apks --bundle=/path/to/app.aab --output=/path/to/app.apks
They can also install the appropriate APKs from the archive onto a connected device using:
bundletool install-apks --apks=app.apks
NOTE: APKS files are primarily used by developers to test apps across different device configurations before publishing. Some third-party tools may also create APKS files when exporting apps, but this is less common.
How to open an APKS file
You can open APKS files with bundletool to install the app on a device, or extract it with a file compression utility to view the individual APK files. However, the APKs are intended to be used together, and installing them manually without the proper tool may not work correctly.