How can I generate an apk that can run without server with react-native

Question

I ve built my app  I can run it on my local emulator  and also on my android device within the same network by changing debug server    However  I want to build an APK that I can send to someone without access to the development server and I want them to be able to test application   I see there is a section Using offline bundle on iOS section of the documentation  But I couldn t figure out how to accomplish the same for android  Is this possible  If so  how   UPDATE  On the answer to this question  Android failed to load JS bundle  it is said that offline bundle can be downloaded from development server  But when I obtain the bundle from development server the image files can t be loaded

User · Accepted Answer

Following Aditya Singh s answer the generated  unsigned  apk would not install on my phone  I had to generate a signed apk using the instructions here    The following worked for me      keytool -genkey -v -keystore my-release-key keystore -alias my-key-alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000   Place the my-release-key keystore file under the android app     directory in your project folder  Then edit the file        gradle gradle properties and add the following  replace          with the correct keystore password  alias and key password   MYAPP RELEASE STORE FILE my-release-key keystore MYAPP RELEASE KEY ALIAS my-key-alias MYAPP RELEASE STORE PASSWORD      MYAPP RELEASE KEY PASSWORD        If you re using MacOS  you can store your password in the keychain using the instructions here instead of storing it in plaintext    Then edit app build gradle and ensure the following are there  the sections with signingConfigs signingConfig may need to be added          android               defaultConfig             signingConfigs           release               if  project hasProperty  MYAPP RELEASE STORE FILE                      storeFile file MYAPP RELEASE STORE FILE                  storePassword MYAPP RELEASE STORE PASSWORD                 keyAlias MYAPP RELEASE KEY ALIAS                 keyPassword MYAPP RELEASE KEY PASSWORD                                   buildTypes           release                               signingConfig signingConfigs release                         Then run the command cd android  amp  amp    gradlew assembleRelease    For Windows  cd android  and then run gradlew assembleRelease command   and find your signed apk under android app build outputs apk app-release apk

User · Answer

If you get Failure  INSTALL PARSE FAILED NO CERTIFICATES    I tried using  Aditya s method of generating an unsigned APK file and installing that  but when I went to install it on my Android tablet  it gave me an error of Failure  INSTALL PARSE FAILED NO CERTIFICATES    I imagine this is because the APK file wasn t signed and the tablet was not happy with this  So  after generating the React Native bundle file I was able to generate a signed APK file  as normal  via Android Studio    By the way  our app is a fully functioning Android app that already exists in the Play Store and we are just adding React Native to it in bite-sized pieces  because it s awesome   So to summarize  here were my steps    1  Generate React Native bundle   react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index android js --bundle-output android  lt your-package-name gt  src main assets index android bu  ndle --assets-dest android  lt your-package-name gt  src main res     2  Generate a Signed APK file from Android Studio   3  Install Signed APK File to USB device   adb -d install -r  lt path to signed apk gt     The -d flag just tells adb to install on the usb device attached  in the event that you have an emulator running as well  If you want to install on whatever an emulator  drop the -d flag   4  Profit

User · Answer

Using android studio to generate signed apk for react s android project is also a good and easy option   open react s android project in android studio and generate keystroke and signed apk

User · Answer

Run this command   react-native run-android --variant release      Note that --variant release is only available if you ve set up signing   with cd android  amp  amp    gradlew assembleRelease

User · Answer

Refer the react-native official documentation on Generating Signed APK  React-Native Generating Signed APK

User · Answer

Generate debug APK without dev-server If you really want to generate a debug APK  for testing purpose  that can run without the development server  Here is the link to my answer to another similar post which may help you  https   stackoverflow com a 65762142 7755579 All you ve to do is   edit android app build gradle  project ext react                 bundleInDebug  true     add this line     run this command at the root directory of your project  react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res   Then  run gradlew assembleDebug inside  android folder If build failed  I suggest you to build from Android studio

User · Answer

You should just use android studio for this process  It is just simpler  But first run this command in your react native app directory   For Newer version of react-native e g  react native 0 49 0  amp  so on      react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res   For Older Version of react-native  0 49 0  amp  below   react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index android js   --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle   --assets-dest android app src main res    Then Use android studio to open the  android  folder in you react native app directory  it will ask to upgrade gradle and some other stuff  go to build-  Generate signed APK and follow the instructions from there  It s really straight forward

User · Answer

I have another solution - Generating a signing key You can generate a private signing key using keytool  On Windows keytool must be run from C  Program Files Java jdkx x x x bin     keytool -genkey -v -keystore my-release-key keystore -alias my-key-alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000   Place the my-release-key keystore file under the android app directory in your project folder   Edit the file android app build gradle in your project folder and add the signing config   android        signingConfigs      release           storeFile file  my-release-key keystore          storePassword  yourpassword         keyAlias  my-key-alias         keyPassword  yourpassword               buildTypes  release  signingConfig signingConfigs release     and run   gradlew assembleRelease   This will give you two files at android app build outputs apk app-release apk and app-release-unsigned apk now install the app-release apk in your android device

User · Answer

Go to project directory and run the command   cd android  amp  amp    gradlew assembleRelease

User · Answer

If you get an error involving index android js  This is because you are using the new React-native version  I am using 0 55 4  Just replace the  index android js  to  index js   react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index js   --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle   --assets-dest android app src main res

User · Answer

The GUI way in Android Studio   Have the Android app part of the React Native app open in Android Studio  this just means opening the android folder of your react-native project with Android Studio  Go to the  Build  tab at the top Go down to  Build Bundle s    APK s   Then select  Build APK s   This will walk you through a process of locating your keys to sign the APK or creating your keys if you don t have them already which is all very straightforward  If you re just practicing  you can generate these keys and save them to your desktop  Once that process is complete and if the build was successful  there will be a popup down below in Android Studio  Click the link within it that says  locate   the APK  That will take you to the apk file  move that over to your android device  Then navigate to that file on the Android device and install it

User · Answer

You will have to create a key to sign the apk  Use below to create your key    keytool -genkey -v -keystore my-app-key keystore -alias my-app-alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000   Use a password when prompted  Once the key is generated  use it to generate the installable build    react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index android js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res    Generate the build using gradle   cd android  amp  amp    gradlew assembleRelease   Upload the APK to your phone  The -r flag will replace the existing app  if it exists   adb install -r   app build outputs apk app-release-unsigned apk   A more detailed description is mentioned here  https   facebook github io react-native docs signed-apk-android html  UPDATE  Based on comments by  shashuec and  Fallen  if you get error      ENOENT  no such file or directory  open  android app src main assets index android bundle     run mkdir android app src main assets

User · Answer

If any one want to build without playstore keys then this command would be very helpful     react-native run-android --variant release  After build complete you can find the apk in release build file

User · Answer

For latest react native versions to bundle the project  Android  react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res   iOS  react-native bundle --entry-file index js --platform ios --dev false --bundle-output ios main jsbundle --assets-dest ios

User · Answer

Hopefully it will help new beginners  Official doc here  If you dont have keystore than use before command else skip  Generating a signing key   Keystore file You can generate a private signing key using keytool  On Windows keytool must be run from C  Program Files Java jdkx x x x bin     keytool -genkey -v -keystore my-release-key keystore -alias my-key-alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000   you will get a file like my-release-key keystore  Setting up gradle variables Place the my-release-key keystore file under the android app directory in your project folder  Edit the file android gradle properties and add the following  replace       with the correct keystore password  alias and key password   enableAapt2 set false is workaround   as android gradle version 3 0 problem  MYAPP RELEASE STORE FILE my-release-key keystore MYAPP RELEASE KEY ALIAS my-key-alias MYAPP RELEASE STORE PASSWORD       MYAPP RELEASE KEY PASSWORD        android enableAapt2 false   then add these app buid gradle  app   below default config   signingConfigs           release               if  project hasProperty  MYAPP RELEASE STORE FILE                      storeFile file MYAPP RELEASE STORE FILE                  storePassword MYAPP RELEASE STORE PASSWORD                 keyAlias MYAPP RELEASE KEY ALIAS                 keyPassword MYAPP RELEASE KEY PASSWORD                           and Inside Build type release       signingConfig signingConfigs release   then simply run this command in android studio terminal  Below commands will automate above all answers   if windows   cd android gradlew assembleRelease   if linux   mac    cd android     gradlew assembleRelease   if you got any error delete all build folder and run command  gradlew clean   than again   gradlew assembleRelease

User · Answer

for React Native 0 49 and over  you should go to project directory on terminal and run that command  1 - mkdir android app src main assets 2 - react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res   if under 0 49    1 - mkdir android app src main assets   2 - react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index android js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res   Then Use android studio to open the  android  folder in you react native app directory  it will ask to upgrade gradle and some other stuff  go to build-  Generate signed APK and follow the instructions from there  That okey

User · Answer

Try below  it will generate an app-debug apk on your root android app build outputs apk debug folder  react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index js --bundle-output android app src main assets index android bundle --assets-dest android app src main res  then go to android folder and run    gradlew assembleDebug

[javascript] How can I generate an apk that can run without server with react-native?

Examples related to javascript

Examples related to android

Examples related to react-native

Examples related to mobile-application