Convert XAP to APK

Source format

XAP is a package format used by Windows Phone apps, especially in the Windows Phone 7 and 8 era. It typically contains compiled assemblies, resources, and app metadata for Microsoft’s mobile platform. XAP files are no longer used for modern Windows mobile distribution.

Target format

APK is the standard package format for Android apps. It contains the app code, resources, manifest, and signing data needed to install an app on Android devices. APK files are the correct format for Android phones and tablets.

Can xap be converted to apk?

Not directly. XAP and APK are built for different operating systems, runtimes, and app frameworks. Renaming the file extension or using a generic converter will not turn a Windows Phone app into a working Android app.

If you only need the app on Android, the realistic options are:

1. Find an Android version of the app from the developer or app store.
2. Rebuild or port the app from source code, if you have access to it.
3. Extract and analyze the XAP package to understand what the app does, then recreate it for Android.

How to port the app

If the original source code is available, the usual migration path is:

1. Open the project in the original development environment if possible, or inspect the codebase.
2. Identify Windows Phone-specific dependencies such as Silverlight, XNA, or platform APIs.
3. Replace those APIs with Android equivalents.
4. Recreate the user interface in Android Studio using Kotlin or Java.
5. Build and sign the Android app to produce an .apk file.

This is a redevelopment task, not a file conversion task.

What you can do with only the xap file

If you do not have the source code, you can still inspect the package contents. Since XAP files are essentially package archives, tools such as 7-Zip may help you open them and extract files. For managed .NET assemblies inside the package, ILSpy or dnSpy can help with analysis and decompilation.

That said, decompiling a XAP rarely produces a ready-to-build Android app. It may help you recover resources, understand logic, or estimate the effort needed for a port.

Online converters and desktop tools

Be cautious with websites claiming to convert .xap to .apk. There is no reputable one-click online service that can reliably transform a Windows Phone app into a functional Android app. Most such services can only extract files or make misleading claims.

Useful tools include:

• 7-Zip for opening and extracting package contents
• ILSpy or dnSpy for inspecting .NET assemblies
• Android Studio for rebuilding the app as Android software

Limitations

XAP and APK are fundamentally incompatible. Windows Phone apps depend on Microsoft’s mobile frameworks and APIs, while Android apps depend on the Android runtime and SDK. Even if some code can be reused, UI, permissions, storage, networking, and device features usually need significant rewriting.

In short, there is no dependable desktop converter that turns a real Windows Phone .xap into a working Android .apk. The practical path is to extract, analyze, and rebuild the app for Android.