What is Android App Bundle ?
Android App Bundle is a new app publishing format or upload format . It is improved way to package your app. It includes all your app’s compiled code and resources, but defers APK generation and signing to Google Play. The Android App Bundle let’s you more easily deliver a great experience in smaller app size, allowing for the HUGE variety of devices. No refactoring of code is required for a smaller app.
Wow! that really sound’s amazing, right? Let’s dive a bit deeper to understand.
Before understanding what really the Android App Bundle is, you should know WHY to use this new publishing format instead of publishing multi APKs(traditional method) ?
Why to use Android App Bundle ?
There are plenty of benefits of using Android App Bundle, but we’ll mainly check out the important one.
- Dynamic Delivery
- No more Multi APKs
- Reduced APK size
- Dynamic Feature Module
Although it’s clear from the names but we’ll go through each of them.
Dynamic Delivery
The above gif explains everything about Dynamic Delivery offered by Android App Bundle.
Android App Bundle’s new publishing format, called Dynamic Delivery, uses your app bundle to generate and serve more optimised APKs according to each user’s device configuration, so that they download only the code and resources they need to run your app. For example, you don’t need other languages strings if you have set English as your default language
No more Multi APKs
Earlier, we used to build multiple APKs and manage different versions and the process was so meshy and NOT Efficient. Now, with the Android App Bundle, you build one artifact that includes all of your app’s compiled code, resources, and native libraries for your app. You no longer need to build, sign, upload, and manage version codes for multiple APKs.
Dynamic Feature Module
These modules contain features and assets that you can decide not to include when users first download and install your app. Using the Play Core Library, your app can later request to download those modules as dynamic feature APKs. For example, video calling feature and camera filters can be downloaded later on demand.
Dynamic Feature Module actually contains features and assets that we can decide if we want to include it or not in first download and install of our app. Users can request the download of those features or modules as dynamic feature APKs by using the Play Core Library.
Let’s take an example of a CAMERA APP, which also contains Filters. at the very first download of the app, only camera module will be installed, but if user require some filters then those filters module can be downloaded as Dynamic Feature APKs.
Reduced APK Size
Google Play uses Split APK mechanism, it can break up a large app into smaller, discrete packages that are installed on a user’s device as required. On average, apps published with app bundles are 20% smaller in size. Here’s some data, you’ll be amazed to see
Till now, You might have got the IDEA of Android App Bundles.
UPDATE
Will be publishing a whole another blog on HOW TO IMPLEMENT ANDROID APP BUNDLES.
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