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  • What FOSS apps install all kinds of Android formats (APK & split APKs included)?

    From Maria Sophia@mariasophia@comprehension.com to comp.mobile.android on Sat Apr 4 18:23:57 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    Q: What FOSS apps install all kinds of Android formats?
    A: I know of only three offhand, but there must be more...
    1. SAI (split apks installer)
    2. Muntashirakon App Manager
    3. ADB (using the install-multiple option)
    Note Obtainium is in a special category as it uses SAI as a back end.

    It's a little more complex though, as there are multiple archival types.
    a. *.apk (single APK)
    b. *.apks (bundle of split APKs)
    c. *.zip bundles containing split APKs (Aurora format)
    d. *.xapk (APK + OBB)
    e. *.apkm (APKMirrorĒs encrypted bundle)

    SAI & ADB install all of them (but apkm files must already be decrypted).
    In addition, ADB needs the zip folders to be unzipped to actual files. Muntashirakon's app installer only handles apk and apks bundles.
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Maria Sophia@mariasophia@comprehension.com to comp.mobile.android on Sun Apr 5 23:51:15 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    Maria Sophia wrote:
    Q: What FOSS apps install all kinds of Android formats?
    A: I know of only three offhand, but there must be more...
    1. SAI (split apks installer)
    2. Muntashirakon App Manager
    3. ADB (using the install-multiple option)
    Note Obtainium is in a special category as it uses SAI as a back end.

    It's a little more complex though, as there are multiple archival types.
    a. *.apk (single APK)
    b. *.apks (bundle of split APKs)
    c. *.zip bundles containing split APKs (Aurora format)
    d. *.xapk (APK + OBB)
    e. *.apkm (APKMirrorĒs encrypted bundle)

    SAI & ADB install all of them (but apkm files must already be decrypted).
    In addition, ADB needs the zip folders to be unzipped to actual files. Muntashirakon's app installer only handles apk and apks bundles.

    UPDATE.

    After a bit of research I found it's both simpler & more complex than that.

    What happens is Aurora downloads the exact Play Store split-APK bundle,
    which arrives, apparently, as individual files from the Google Play Store.
    a. base.apk
    b. config.xxx.apk
    c. config.xxx.apk
    d. metadata.json
    e. signature info
    But because Aurora can't write to public storage when exporting the app installer, Aurora zips them into a single file in its private cache:
    /data/data/com.aurora.store/cache/Downloads/com.package.zip

    Yet, apparently it turns out the Aurora zip is the same as an apks.
    Where, for example, SAI handles the zip the same as it handles apsks.
    But the Muntashirakon App Installer handles the apks but not the zip.
    However, if you rename the ZIP to an APKS, then Muntashirakon handles it.

    Go figure.
    Notice it's both simpler and more complicated than we might think it is.

    In the Aurora zip (and in the Muntashirakon App Manager saved apks file),
    I found a base.apk, split_config.arm64_v8a.apk, split_config.xxhdpi.apk, split_config.en.apk. metadata.json and signature info files.

    Interestingly, I did not find OBB files (e.g., large game assets), nor
    shared libraries downloaded after installation, nor any additional dynamic features downloaded later, or in-app downloaded content in the Aurora ZIP.

    Apparently what's missing is usually not necessarily needed for most apps. Anyway, the gold-standard split-apk installer is SAI which handles it all.
    <https://github.com/Aefyr/SAI>
    <https://github.com/Aefyr/SAI/releases/tag/4.5>
    <https://github.com/Aefyr/SAI/releases/download/4.5/SAI-4.5.apk>
    Name: SAI-4.5.apk
    Size: 5130176 bytes (5009 KiB)
    SHA256: 632CE65CC6CDE1FB5704375B18BCCFFD0BFA4D476385375AB8088BC21F5F8F11

    It's also on F-Droid
    <https://f-droid.org/packages/com.aefyr.sai.fdroid/>
    "SAI is an app for installing and exporting split APKs,
    apps that consist of multiple APKs. SAI can install apps using
    standard Android API, using root access or using Shizuku."

    Be aware the Google Play Store has a similar-sounding app with ads!
    <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mtv.sai>
    Do not fall for that clickbait (read the reviews, for example).
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Maria Sophia@mariasophia@comprehension.com to comp.mobile.android on Mon Apr 6 14:37:09 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    Maria Sophia wrote:
    a. base.apk
    b. config.xxx.apk
    c. config.xxx.apk
    d. metadata.json
    e. signature info

    To summarize, if you have a pile of those split apks for any given package

    1. Android's built-in Package Installer will *fail* every time!
    2. ADB will easily install that package from the individual files.
    C:\> adb install-multiple base.apk split1.apk split2.apk
    3. SAI will also install that package from the individual files
    as SAI will ask you in the GUI which files you want to install.
    Or, you can zip them for SAI (named either .ZIP or .APKS).
    4. Muntashirakon has a batch feature where it too will handle
    multiple files, but you can also zip them up & rename it to apks.

    Note that all of them can install a single monolithic APK, but only the
    Android built-in package manager can not install anything but a single APK.
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2