Sideload Android app

I decided to learn how to sideload an Android app that supports the App Bundle. Previously without App Bundle, it was an easy process, just $adb pull APK and $adb install APK. But now with App Bundle, the Google Play store installs split APKs per device needs. If we do $adb pull APK, it pulls only one APK, we have to find the path to all the split APKs paths then $adb pull all APKs. Then push all APKs to the device sdcard.

Steps to sideload app:

1. Install App from Play Store.
2. Use below adb command to find all the split APKs installed on your device

adb shell pm path com.your.app.package
example:
asandoval@A001016:~$ adb shell pm path com.your.app.package

package:/data/app/yourPackageName/base.apk
package:/data/app/yourPackageName/split_config.armeabi_v7a.apk
package:/data/app/yourPackageName/split_config.en.apk
package:/data/app/yourPackageName/split_config.xxhdpi.apk

Above we can see each split APK has a different configuration, shows base.apk, split_config.armeabi_v7a.apk, split_config.en.apk, and split_config.xxhdpi.apk. My test Device is a Pixel 3(API 28).

If you only install base.apk you will get the error “Resource Not Found”.

3. Above command outputs APKs path, now use ‘adb pull’ to get APKs from device to your laptop. example:

adb pull /data/app/yourPackageName/base.apk
adb pull /data/app/yourPackageName/split_config.armeabi_v7a.apk
adb pull…