APK TOOL | WINDOWS
How-To Guide For Beginners
How-To Guide For Beginners
Intro
Q- What is apk tool?
A- It is a tool for reverse engineering Android apk files. More info here.
Q- What can i do with it?
A- You can easily decompile and compile apks. For example.. if you don't like the new icon of your favorite application, you can get the older icon and replace the new icon with it. Also you can do a lots of other things like change strings.
Prerequisites
- Java 7 (JRE 1.7) ( Most Windows computers have already it installed )
- This guide is for everybody! So no other prerequisites :p
Installation
1. Create on your desktop a folder. I called it "xda". Maybe try using simple folder names, don't use names with "_" or "*" etc.
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2. Save the apktool.bat file in the folder you have created. I'm gonna save it on "xda" folder. Here there is the file.
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3. Now it's time to save the jar file of apktool. Find the last here and put it in your folder, remember my folder is "xda". Then go in the folder and rename apktool_2.2.0.jar into apktool.jar. At the same time move the "file.apk" into your folder. As you can see i have an "example.apk" in my "xda" folder. Now you are ready to decompile and compile apks!
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2. Save the apktool.bat file in the folder you have created. I'm gonna save it on "xda" folder. Here there is the file.
3. Now it's time to save the jar file of apktool. Find the last here and put it in your folder, remember my folder is "xda". Then go in the folder and rename apktool_2.2.0.jar into apktool.jar. At the same time move the "file.apk" into your folder. As you can see i have an "example.apk" in my "xda" folder. Now you are ready to decompile and compile apks!
Decompile an apk
1. Open the terminal. If you don't know how to do it, just write " cmd " in your windows search bar.
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2. This is how terminal looks like!
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3. Now get the path of your folder. If you don't know how to do open the folder and click on the bar. It will give you a path like " C:\Users\your name\desktop\your folder name " and copy it.
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4. Now navigate into the folder you have created! Just write on terminal and send.
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5. Write this in terminal and you will be able to start decompile and compile apks!
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6. Decompiling! For decompile an apk you need to write this
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7. If you look in your folder you will find another folder called "nameofyourfile without.apk". Here there is the apk decompiled. Now you can mod your favorite application!
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2. This is how terminal looks like!
3. Now get the path of your folder. If you don't know how to do open the folder and click on the bar. It will give you a path like " C:\Users\your name\desktop\your folder name " and copy it.
4. Now navigate into the folder you have created! Just write on terminal and send.
Code:
cd path
5. Write this in terminal and you will be able to start decompile and compile apks!
Code:
apktool
6. Decompiling! For decompile an apk you need to write this
Code:
apktool d nameofyourfile.apk
7. If you look in your folder you will find another folder called "nameofyourfile without.apk". Here there is the apk decompiled. Now you can mod your favorite application!
Compile an apk
Follow 1-5 steps for decompiling an apk
1. For compiling just write this on terminal
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2. You can find the apk in this directory: name of your folder/name of your apk folder/dist and here you have the apk.
As you can see, i have it on xda/example/dist.
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VERY IMPORTANT: YOU NEED TO SIGN THE APK BEFORE INSTALLING OR IT WILL GIVE AN ERROR.
1. For compiling just write this on terminal
Code:
apktool b nameofthefolder
2. You can find the apk in this directory: name of your folder/name of your apk folder/dist and here you have the apk.
As you can see, i have it on xda/example/dist.
VERY IMPORTANT: YOU NEED TO SIGN THE APK BEFORE INSTALLING OR IT WILL GIVE AN ERROR.
- ibotpeaches for this awesome tool
- xda for the website