Apktool
Apktool decodes Android app resources and smali code and can rebuild an APK after changes, useful for analysis in authorised tests.
Legal & ethical use. Use this tool only on systems, networks and data that you own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorised access or scanning can break computer-misuse laws (for example Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and equivalents elsewhere). Practise in your own lab or in authorised environments such as CTFs.
What it is used for
- Inspect manifest and resources of a test APK
- Rebuild a modified app in a lab
Key features
- Decode resources and smali
- Rebuild APKs
- Framework resource handling
Installation
Follow the install guide on apktool.org (a wrapper script plus a jar).
Beginner usage guide
Decode an APK to a folder, read the manifest and smali, then rebuild to confirm the toolchain works.
Example commands
Run these only against your own lab or authorised targets. Placeholder addresses such as 192.0.2.x are documentation ranges.
Decode an APK
apktool d app.apk -o app_decoded-o selects the output folder.
References
Source verification
Last reviewed: 2026-10-27
Links checked over HTTP: 2026-10-27 07:51 UTC — official: 200, docs: 200, repo: 200
Commands were written from the official documentation and have not been executed on this site; test them in your lab.