How to Make Your APK Smaller
Size matters when it comes to app performance, especially in emerging markets with limited bandwidth connections or data plans with data caps. Users are more likely to uninstall apps consuming large amounts of storage space; therefore it’s critical that during Android app development measures are taken to reduce its size.
This article presents approaches for limiting your APK download size, so more people can install and utilize your app. We cover best practices for decreasing code and resource sizes such as optimizing image files or using scalable vector graphics; as well as ways to minimize its footprint by decreasing its size and memory usage.
Your APK’s size depends on multiple factors such as code, images and assets used in its creation. One of the main contributors is repetitive code which increases its size significantly; to prevent this you should try implementing Object-Oriented Programming wherever possible to minimize repeating code and therefore decrease app size through removal of redundant data.
Another key consideration when designing native libraries is size. If your native library was designed for desktop or server environments, it may contain features that your app does not require. You could look for mobile-specific libraries with mobile-friendly licenses or edit your code directly to remove unnecessary features from existing libraries.
Thirdly, APK footprint should be considered. This encompasses both your app’s size and dependencies. Over time, as more resources and data are added to your app, its size may increase; to combat this you can compress its source code or use online tools that reduce resource sizes such as images, audio and video files.
Reduce the size of your APK further by compressing its user interface (UI). Not only will this make it look better, but also improve user experience by using less data to download.
