Convert APK to XML

A developer may need readable Android XML to inspect an app’s manifest, edit a layout, extract resources, or share configuration files with another developer. An APK is an installable package rather than one XML document, so the process decodes or extracts several possible XML files.

What the APK format is

An APK is Android’s installable application package. It is a ZIP-based archive that can contain compiled application code in DEX format, a binary Android manifest, compiled resources, assets, native libraries, signatures, and metadata.

Android Studio, Gradle, Android build tools, and third-party build systems generate APK files. APKs are encountered during manual app installation, build testing, application analysis, and extraction from device backups.

What the XML format is

XML is a structured text format used by Android for manifests, layouts, menus, preferences, resource values, navigation definitions, and configuration data. Readable XML can be searched, diffed, edited, archived, and opened in Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, Notepad++, or another text editor.

Files inside an APK are often stored as compiled binary XML rather than ordinary text. Decoding restores readable elements, attributes, namespaces, and resource references, but it does not recreate the original project files exactly.

How to decode the package

Use Apktool for readable resource XML

Apktool is the most suitable desktop option when the required output includes a decoded manifest and Android resource files. Install a supported Java runtime, then download the current Apktool wrapper and JAR from the official Apktool project and place them according to its installation instructions.

1. Copy the APK into a working directory.
2. Open a terminal in that directory.
3. Run apktool d app.apk -o decoded_app.
4. Open decoded_app/AndroidManifest.xml and inspect XML files below decoded_app/res, including layouts and value resources.

If the destination already exists, use apktool d -f app.apk -o decoded_app to replace its files. Apktool decodes the binary manifest and compiled Android resources; XML files originally stored as plain text may simply be extracted.

Inspect the APK without full decoding

In Android Studio, use Build → Analyze APK to view the archive structure, manifest information, DEX files, resources, and packaged assets. This is useful for inspection, but it does not generally produce a complete directory of editable XML files.

A ZIP utility such as 7-Zip can extract an APK because the container uses ZIP technology. It cannot reliably convert AndroidManifest.xml or other compiled Android XML into readable source XML; those files require an Android-aware decoder such as Apktool.

There is no dependable universal online APK-to-XML converter because an APK can contain multiple XML types and compiled resources. Online APK analyzers may display manifest or resource information, but services vary in output and retention policies. Use an online service only for a non-confidential APK after checking its privacy terms, and do not upload proprietary applications, credentials, private builds, or customer data. Local Apktool is the safer default.

Rebuild a modified package

After editing decoded resources, rebuild the package with apktool b decoded_app -o rebuilt.apk. The rebuilt file must be signed with Android SDK apksigner before installation, for example by running apksigner sign --ks release.jks rebuilt.apk with the appropriate keystore and signing options.

A newly signed APK does not retain the original signing identity. Android updates require the same signing key as the installed version, so a modified package normally cannot update the original application. Test rebuilt files in an emulator or test device.

Quality and compatibility limits

The output is not one XML file: it may include a manifest, layouts, menus, values, navigation resources, and other files, depending on the package. Resource shrinking, obfuscation, optimization, and compilation can remove names, comments, formatting, and original source structure.

Apktool may produce reconstructed XML that differs from the project’s original XML while remaining suitable for inspection or, in some cases, rebuilding. Framework resources and unusual packaging can require additional Apktool framework files or a newer Apktool release.

DEX bytecode is not XML. Use JADX for an approximate Java representation, or another decompiler for code inspection; decompilation does not restore the original Java or Kotlin source, comments, build configuration, or project structure.