App Bundle (AAB)
Also known as: Android App Bundle
Short definition
The Android App Bundle (AAB) is Google's publishing format that packages all compiled code and resources and defers the generation of device-specific APKs to Google Play, which produces optimised splits per user device.
Detailed
Since August 2021, every new app submitted to Google Play must use the AAB format (APK uploads are only allowed for existing apps that pre-date the mandate). The AAB lets Google Play generate smaller, device-specific APKs at install time — separating language resources, densities, and architectures — which typically reduces download size by 10–20% compared to a universal APK.
Example
A developer generates an AAB with `./gradlew bundleRelease` in Android Studio, uploads the resulting `.aab` to the Play Console's Internal Testing track, and Google Play automatically produces an ARM64-only, xxhdpi-only APK for the tester's Pixel device — a fraction of the universal APK size.
Primary sources
How Forvibe handles this
Forvibe's Store Listing Manager addresses this directly: unified app store & play store metadata management.
See how it works →Related terms
- Google Play ConsoleGoogle Play Console is Google's web and API console for publishing and managing Android apps and games on the Google Play Store.
- App ReviewApp Review is the human-plus-automated approval process Apple runs on every iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS submission, and the equivalent (mostly automated) process Google runs on every new or updated Google Play submission.
- Data Safety DeclarationThe Data Safety declaration is Google Play's required form where developers disclose what user data their app collects and shares, the purposes for each data type, and the security practices applied.