Google Announced a Change For Developers

Google has announced a big change for developers who want to list their apps on Play that could have an impact on the Android app ecosystem. The standard format for app publishing is the APK, but starting in August, will require that new Play apps are published instead of using the Android App Bundle.

On a Google page about Android App Bundle, the company touts many potential improvements with the new format, such as smaller app downloads for users. But the format has a catch: Android App Bundles are a format that only Play uses, which could complicate app redistribution.

The timing of announcement also comes just days after Microsoft announced Windows 11, which can let you sideload Android apps as APKs.switch to App Bundles may mean that there will be fewer apps available to run on Microsoft’s new operating system, though you’ll also be able to get Android apps on Windows 11 from the Amazon Appstore.The requirement to use Android App Bundles only applies to new apps, according to Google. Existing apps are currently exempt, as are private apps being published to managed  Play users.  And if you’re a developer planning on releasing a new app, you only have a short time to make sure you’re using the new format.

Google announced today that it is replacing the Android Package (APK) application package format for Android with the Android App Bundle (AAB) effective this August and in tandem with the release of Android 12.Since they launched the Android App Bundle in May 2018, they have seen the developer community embrace this new standard to benefit from streamlined releases and advanced distribution features