How to sign an android apk file

APK Signing Process

To manually sign an Android APK file run these three commands:

  1. Generate Keystore file

    keytool -genkey -v -keystore YOUR_KEYSTORE_NAME.keystore -alias ALIAS_NAME -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

  2. Sign Your APK file using jarsigner

    jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore KEYSTORE_FILE_PATH UNSIGNED_APK_PATH ALIAS_NAME

  3. Align Signed APK using zipalign tool

    zipalign -v 4 JARSIGNED_APK_FILE_PATH ZIPALIGNED_SIGNED_APK_FILE_PATH

STEP 1

Generate Keystore file

keytool -genkey -v -keystore YOUR_KEYSTORE_NAME.keystore -alias ALIAS_NAME -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

Example:

keytool -genkey -v -keystore id.keystore -alias MySignedApp -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

keystore password : yourApp@123 key password : yourApp@123

CMD O/P

D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp>keytool -genkey -v -keystore id.keystore
 -alias MySignedApp -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000
Enter keystore password:
Re-enter new password:
What is your first and last name?
  [Unknown]:  MySignedApp Sample
What is the name of your organizational unit?
  [Unknown]:  Information Technology
What is the name of your organization?
  [Unknown]:  MySignedApp Demo
What is the name of your City or Locality?
  [Unknown]:  Mumbai
What is the name of your State or Province?
  [Unknown]:  Maharashtra
What is the two-letter country code for this unit?
  [Unknown]:  IN
Is CN=MySignedApp Demo, OU=Information Technology, O=MySignedApp Demo, L=Mumbai, ST=Maharashtra, C=IN corr
ect?
  [no]:  y

Generating 2,048 bit RSA key pair and self-signed certificate (SHA256withRSA) with a validity of 10,
000 days
        for: CN=MySignedApp Demo, OU=Information Technology, O=MySignedApp Demo, L=Mumbai, ST=Maharashtra,
 C=IN
Enter key password for <MySignedApp>
        (RETURN if same as keystore password):
Re-enter new password:
[Storing id.keystore]

D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp>

STEP 2

Sign your app with your private keystore using jarsigner

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore KEYSTORE_FILE_PATH UNSIGNED_APK_PATH ALIAS_NAME

Example

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\id.keystore D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedAppS1-release-unsigned.apk id

CMD O/P

D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp>jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -
digestalg SHA1 -keystore D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\id.keystore D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedAppS1-release-unsigned.apk id ---
ect
Enter Passphrase for keystore:
   adding: META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
   adding: META-INF/---.SF
   adding: META-INF/---.RSA
  signing: AndroidManifest.xml
  ..... 
    signing: classes.dex
  signing: lib/commons-codec-1.6.jar
  signing: lib/armeabi/libkonyjsvm.so
jar signed.

Warning:
No -tsa or -tsacert is provided and this jar is not timestamped. Without a timestamp, users may not
be able to validate this jar after the signer certificate's expiration date (2044-02-07) or after an
y future revocation date.

D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp>

Verify that your APK is signed

jarsigner -verify -verbose -certs JARSIGNED_APK_FILE_PATH

Example

jarsigner -verify -verbose -certs MySignedAppS1-release-unsigned.apk

CMD O/P

D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp>jarsigner -verify -verbose -certs MySignedAppS1-release-unsigned.apk
 s = signature was verified
  m = entry is listed in manifest
  k = at least one certificate was found in keystore
  i = at least one certificate was found in identity scope

jar verified.

Warning:
This jar contains entries whose certificate chain is not validated.
This jar contains signatures that does not include a timestamp. Without a timestamp, users may not b
e able to validate this jar after the signer certificate's expiration date (2044-02-09) or after any
 future revocation date.

D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp>

STEP 3

Align the final APK package using zipalign

zipalign -v 4 JARSIGNED_APK_FILE_PATH ZIPALIGNED_SIGNED_APK_FILE_PATH_WITH_NAME_ofSignedAPK

Example

zipalign -v 4 D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedAppS1-release-unsigned.apk D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedApp.apk

CMD O/P

D:\Android\android-sdk\build-tools\19.1.0>zipalign -v 4 D:\ru\ru_doc\Signed_apk\MySignedApp\28.09.16
_prod_playstore\MySignedAppS1-release-unsigned.apk D:\ru\ru_doc\Signed_apk\MySignedApp\28.09.16_prod
_playstore\MySignedApp.apk
Verifying alignment of D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedApp.apk (
4)...

  4528613 classes.dex (OK - compressed)
 5656594 lib/commons-codec-1.6.jar (OK - compressed)
 5841869 lib/armeabi/libkonyjsvm.so (OK - compressed)
Verification succesful

D:\Android\android-sdk\build-tools\19.1.0>

Verify that your APK is Aligned successfully

zipalign -c -v 4 YOUR_APK_PATH

Example

zipalign -c -v 4 D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedApp.apk

CMD O/P

D:\Android\android-sdk\build-tools\19.1.0>zipalign -c -v 4 D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedApp.apk
Verifying alignment of D:\ru\SignedBuilds\MySignedApp\MySignedApp.apk (
4)...

 4453984 res/drawable/zoomout.png (OK)
 4454772 res/layout/tabview.xml (OK - compressed)
 4455243 res/layout/wheel_item.xml (OK - compressed)
 4455608 resources.arsc (OK)
 4470161 classes.dex (OK - compressed)
 5597923 lib/commons-codec-1.6.jar (OK - compressed)
 5783198 lib/armeabi/libkonyjsvm.so (OK - compressed)
Verification succesful

D:\Android\android-sdk\build-tools\19.1.0>

Note:

The verify command is just to check whether APK is built and signed correctly!

References

  • signing-manually
  • androidapk-code-signing-process

I hope this will help one and all :)


For users of IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio make these steps:
* From the menu Build/Generate signed APK
* You need to create a keystore path. From the dialog click Create new. You will create a jks file that includes your keys. Select folder, define a password. So your keystore ok.
* Create new key by for your application by using alias, key password, your name etc.
* Click next.
* From the dialog either select Proguard or not.

Your signed APK file is ready.

Help file: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/webhelp/generate-signed-apk-wizard.html


Here is a guide on how to manually sign an APK. It includes info about the new apk-signer introduced in build-tools 24.0.3 (10/2016)

Automated Process:

Use this tool (uses the new apksigner from Google):

https://github.com/patrickfav/uber-apk-signer

Disclaimer: Im the developer :)

Manual Process:

Step 1: Generate Keystore (only once)

You need to generate a keystore once and use it to sign your unsigned apk. Use the keytool provided by the JDK found in %JAVA_HOME%/bin/

keytool -genkey -v -keystore my.keystore -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 -alias app

Step 2 or 4: Zipalign

zipalign which is a tool provided by the Android SDK found in e.g. %ANDROID_HOME%/sdk/build-tools/24.0.2/ is a mandatory optimzation step if you want to upload the apk to the Play Store.

zipalign -p 4 my.apk my-aligned.apk

Note: when using the old jarsigner you need to zipalign AFTER signing. When using the new apksigner method you do it BEFORE signing (confusing, I know). Invoking zipalign before apksigner works fine because apksigner preserves APK alignment and compression (unlike jarsigner).

You can verify the alignment with

zipalign -c 4 my-aligned.apk

Step 3: Sign & Verify

Using build-tools 24.0.2 and older

Use jarsigner which, like the keytool, comes with the JDK distribution found in %JAVA_HOME%/bin/ and use it like so:

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore my.keystore my-app.apk my_alias_name

and can be verified with

jarsigner -verify -verbose my_application.apk

Using build-tools 24.0.3 and newer

Android 7.0 introduces APK Signature Scheme v2, a new app-signing scheme that offers faster app install times and more protection against unauthorized alterations to APK files (See here and here for more details). Threfore Google implemented their own apk signer called apksigner (duh!) The script file can be found in %ANDROID_HOME%/sdk/build-tools/24.0.3/ (the .jar is in the /lib subfolder). Use it like this

apksigner sign --ks my.keystore my-app.apk --ks-key-alias alias_name

and can be verified with

apksigner verify my-app.apk

The official documentation can be found here.


The manual is clear enough. Please specify what part you get stuck with after you work through it, I'd suggest:

https://developer.android.com/studio/publish/app-signing.html

Okay, a small overview without reference or eclipse around, so leave some space for errors, but it works like this

  • Open your project in eclipse
  • Press right-mouse - > tools (android tools?) - > export signed application (apk?)
  • Go through the wizard:
  • Make a new key-store. remember that password
  • Sign your app
  • Save it etc.

Also, from the link:

Compile and sign with Eclipse ADT

If you are using Eclipse with the ADT plugin, you can use the Export Wizard to export a signed .apk (and even create a new keystore, if necessary). The Export Wizard performs all the interaction with the Keytool and Jarsigner for you, which allows you to sign the package using a GUI instead of performing the manual procedures to compile, sign, and align, as discussed above. Once the wizard has compiled and signed your package, it will also perform package alignment with zip align. Because the Export Wizard uses both Keytool and Jarsigner, you should ensure that they are accessible on your computer, as described above in the Basic Setup for Signing.

To create a signed and aligned .apk in Eclipse:

  1. Select the project in the Package Explorer and select File > Export.

  2. Open the Android folder, select Export Android Application, and click Next.

    The Export Android Application wizard now starts, which will guide you through the process of signing your application, including steps for selecting the private key with which to sign the .apk (or creating a new keystore and private key).

  3. Complete the Export Wizard and your application will be compiled, signed, aligned, and ready for distribution.

Tags:

Android

Signing

Apk

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