AAB (Android App Bundle)

An AAB is Google Play's preferred upload format for Android apps. It is a zipped container that includes your compiled code, resources, and manifest, plus metadata that lets Google Play generate per-device optimized APKs at install time.

Why it matters

Since August 2021, new apps on Google Play must ship as AABs. Existing apps can still upload APKs, but AABs unlock dynamic delivery features: per-language resource stripping, per-density image delivery, Play Asset Delivery for large assets, and Play Feature Delivery for on-demand modules.

Result: smaller download sizes for end users, which improves install conversion. A 50 MB APK typically becomes a 20-30 MB install via AAB.

How GPC handles it

gpc releases upload app.aab --track internal

GPC accepts AABs and APKs interchangeably. The gpc releases upload command handles both, routing to the correct Google Play Developer API endpoint based on file extension.

Before upload, run the compliance scanner:

gpc preflight app.aab

Nine offline scanners check your AAB against Play Store policies: target SDK, permissions, native libraries, secrets, billing SDKs, privacy trackers, metadata limits, and size.

Common issues

• "APK has an invalid signature" — the AAB was signed for one keystore but uploaded to an app configured for another. GPC does not re-sign; use your build tool's signing config.
• "targetSdkVersion too low" — Google raises the required target SDK annually. gpc preflight catches this before upload.
• "Native libraries must include 64-bit versions" — all Play Store apps must include arm64 and x86_64 for native code. Preflight flags this.

Related

• APK — the older, unbundled format
• Fastlane Metadata Format — metadata directory shape GPC reads and writes
• gpc releases upload — the upload command
• gpc preflight — pre-upload compliance scanner
• gpc bundle analyze — per-module size breakdown