How to view AndroidManifest.xml from APK file?
aapt, android, android-manifest, apk, xml
Solution
Yes you can view XML files of an Android APK file. There is a tool for this: `android-apktool`
It is a tool for reverse engineering 3rd party, closed, binary Android apps
How to install apktool: see instructions on the apktool website
Now copy the `APK` file also in that directory and run the following command in your command prompt:
apktool d HelloWorld.apk -o ./HelloWorld
This will create a directory "`HelloWorld`" in your current directory. Inside it you can find the `AndroidManifest.xml` file in decrypted format, and you can also find other `XML` files inside the `"HelloWorld/res/layout"` directory.
Here `HelloWorld.apk` is your Android APK file.
See the below screen shot for more information:
Problem
Is it possible to view `Androidmanifest.xml` file? I just changed the extension of the `apk` file to `zip`. This `zip` file contains the `Androidmanifest.xml` file. But I am unable view the contents of `Androidmanifest.xml`. It is fully encrypted. How can I view the `Androidmanifest.xml` file?