CODEWITHSUNDEEP
android
AP257
AP257

Reputation: 93813

Is it safe to share .apk files?

I write Android apps, distributed via the Market. A user has written asking whether they can have the raw .apk of one app (they're in a country where the Market isn't available).

Is it safe to do this, or do I risk getting ripped off in some way - having my app copied and redistributed, for example?

Thanks for your help.

Upvotes: 4

Views: 5609

Answers (1)

user432209
user432209

Reputation: 20167

Applications can be reverse engineered. If someone gets your hands on the .apk file, they could reverse engineer your code. One of the way companies/individuals attempt to deter against it is code Obfuscator. Google talks about code obfuscation in their application licensing document to help you prevent against reverse engineering.

Edit: From reading a bit more about it, it looks as though the market does not allow you to download the .apk file to your phone if it is copy-protected, it only installs it from the market. If your app is not copy-protected, you can download the .apk from the market.

So the answer to your question is yes, it is more dangerous to provide the .apk file directly. However, if you do not have copy-protection on your app, then the .apk is already available to anyone (country dependent).

Upvotes: 3

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