Google is constantly improving its digital marketplace, that is Google Play Store, to help developers distribute apps in a better way. Now, the company has announced its plan to switch away from APKs to its existing alternate app-packaging format called Android App Bundles. It aims to solve major issues with the current APK app packaging format and reduce the size of Android apps by 15%.
The new app-packaging format aims to reduce the size of Android apps, which will, in turn, enable faster downloads and lesser storage requirements for end-users. It was introduced by the company back in 2018, and Google says that more than a million apps on the Play Store, including Adobe, Netflix, Twitter, and Duolingo use app bundles instead of APKs.
As a result, developers who switch to AAB will not be able to deliver the exact same package to other app stores and sources. This eliminates the possibility of sideloading apps unless the developers maintain a separate APK version of their apps.
