What is APK Decompiler?
APK Decompiler is tool for Android Package Reverse engineEvery Android application that you use on your phone is distributed as APK files that contain images, codes, and other essential media files that assist in the smooth running of the app.
To extract the code and other files from such applications, one can use APK Decompilers. Using such decompilers enable complete decoding of an application’s code.
After the decoding process, the decompiler builds the application again with certain modifications.
To decompile the APK file, you can use some of the following tools:
JADX
This is an open-source decompiler that uses Graphical User Interface as well as the tools of Command Line Interface to decompile Android Dex and APK files. The code of such files is then used to build Java source code.For using please visit JADX homepage
Essential Features
- It includes deobfuscator.
- Dalvik bytecode is decompiled to java code by using aar, APK, aab, dex, and zip files
- Resources are decoded from resources.arsc
- Important GUI features of JADX include: complete text search, jumping to declaration feature, find usage, using highlighted syntax to see decompiled codes
APKTool
The Apktool is used for reverse engineering (decoding and rebuilding) closed, 3rd party, Binary Android applications. It is very useful to decode the applications to such an extent that it almost reaches its original form. After attaining the original form, the application is rebuilt but with some modifications.Smali code can be debugged in an orderly manner by using the reverse engineering process of Apktool. Building apk over and over is a monotonous task, which is made easier through apktool’s automation feature.
The most important thing a user must bear in mind is that decoding and rebuilding Android apk must not be done for some illegal purpose. It must be used for localizing or adding a few essential features for custom platforms.
Piracy issues must be avoided and the author of the application must be respected. For introduction and downlaod, you can visit APKTool homepage
Other Tool for APK Decompiler
- Bytecode Viewer (https://github.com/Konloch/bytecode-viewer/)
- ClassyShark (https://github.com/google/android-classyshark)
- Smali (https://github.com/JesusFreke/smali)
- Androguard (https://github.com/androguard/androguard)
- Enjarify (Google) (https://github.com/google/enjarify)
- APK Studio (https://github.com/vaibhavpandeyvpz/apkstudio)
- ShowJava (https://github.com/niranjan94/show-java)
- Android Decompiler (https://github.com/dirkvranckaert/AndroidDecompiler)
- Decompile APK (https://github.com/venshine/decompile-apk)
- TTDEDroid (https://github.com/tp7309/TTDeDroid)
- APK Changer (https://github.com/Furniel/Apk-Changer)
- Android Apk Decompiler (https://github.com/dwatling/apk-decompiler)
- apkToJava (https://github.com/ajitsing/apkToJava)
- DeAPK (https://github.com/vaibhavpandeyvpz/deapk)
- Android Decompiler (https://github.com/TheYahya/android-decompile)
- Android Binary XML (https://github.com/SUPERAndroidAnalyzer/abxml-rs)
- apk2java (https://github.com/AndroidTamer/apk2java)
- Python based APK Decompiler (https://github.com/carloswbarros/apk-decompiler)
- Webservice Android Decompiler (https://github.com/kundanSingh11/Android-Decompiler)
- EraAPK (https://github.com/gnuns/EraAPK)
- Docker Container Android Decompiler (https://github.com/Morxander/apk_decompiler)
- Apk CSigner (https://github.com/mdafer/apk-csigner)