# Install apktool with Homebrew, chocolatey, apt, MacPorts, Nix, scoop Tool for reverse engineering 3rd party, closed, binary Android apps. Version 3.0.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-15. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:apktool ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install apktool ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install apktool ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: java/apktool/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install apktool ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: apktool from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#apktool ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ap/apktool/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install apktool ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: apktool from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','ansicon' - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/apktool ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/apktool.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:apktool - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.0.2 - **Source summary:** Tool for reverse engineering 3rd party, closed, binary Android apps - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-15T10:20:10-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - apktool (cli) - apktool (alias) ## Dependencies - openjdk ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.0.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-15 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Apktool is a long-running Java tool for decoding, modifying, and rebuilding Android APK files. It is one of the standard utilities in Android reverse engineering because it turns compiled resources, manifests, and smali code into a project-like tree that can be inspected and rebuilt. ### Project history Apktool's current GitHub repository was created in March 2012, but the official release blog lists releases back to 0.9.0 and 1.0.0 in 2010. The README says the project is for reverse engineering third-party, closed, binary Android apps, especially decoding resources to near-original form and rebuilding after modifications. The official site preserves a long release line from the 0.9 and 1.x era through 2.x and into 3.x. The 2.x line became the maintenance branch, while main became the 3.x branch. The project also moved its documentation site to Docusaurus-backed pages and keeps release notes on apktool.org. Version 3.0.0 in 2026 was a major compatibility break. Official release notes describe dropping aapt1 and 32-bit platform support, modernizing resource parsing, changing output format details, replacing some old CLI names, and adopting a new default resource-resolution model. Version 3.0.2 followed as a security and performance patch. ### Adoption history Apktool has broad package-manager adoption: the supplied metadata records Homebrew, Chocolatey, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, Scoop, and Ubuntu packages. The official site also links downloads, Maven artifacts, GitHub discussions, Stack Overflow, and IRC, reflecting a tool with both distro packaging and a long-lived user support footprint. GitHub metadata showed nearly 25k stars and thousands of forks at research time. That scale is consistent with Apktool's role as a default dependency in mobile-security, app localization, Android modding, and APK compatibility workflows. ### How it is used The basic flow is apktool d file.apk to decode, edit the generated project-like tree, and apktool b folder to rebuild. Official docs explain why simply unzipping an APK leaves binary XML and compiled resource files that are not practical to edit directly. The CLI exposes decode, build, install-framework, and clean-frameworks command families. Framework files can be stored or read from a user-specified frame path, but the official docs do not present that as a fixed config-file location, so no config-file-location is recorded here. ### Why package nerds care Apktool is package-nerd significant because it is both a package and a package unpacker: it lets users explode Android's signed ZIP-based application format into resources, smali, framework references, and rebuild metadata. That makes it the bridge between Android binary distribution and editable source-like trees. Its long packaging history also makes it a compatibility benchmark. When Android resource formats, smali, aapt/aapt2, Java versions, or Linux distro policies change, Apktool's releases often encode the fallout for reverse-engineering workflows. ### Timeline - 2010: Official release blog lists Apktool 0.9.x and 1.0.0 releases. - 2012: Current GitHub repository was created. - 2015: Official blog records Apktool 2.0.0 and a Google Code shutdown migration note. - 2026: Apktool 3.0.0 became the major 3.x branch with CLI and resource-processing changes. - 2026: Apktool 3.0.2 shipped as a patch release for a security regression and disassembly performance. ### Related projects - Apktool works in the Android reverse-engineering ecosystem alongside smali/baksmali, aapt/aapt2, dex tooling, Android framework files, and APK signing/build tools. ### Sources - - - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes escape, surveillance, or offensive capability signal. - **Geiger risk:** red / medium - escape, surveillance, or offensive capability signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** apktool - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - apktool - 2.7.0+dfsg-7: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: apktool from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | tool for reverse engineering Android apk files | https://ibotpeaches.github.io/Apktool/ - Nix - apktool: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ap/apktool/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - apktool - 2.7.0+dfsg-7: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: apktool from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | tool for reverse engineering Android apk files | https://ibotpeaches.github.io/Apktool/ - MacPorts - apktool: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: java/apktool/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Chocolatey - apktool: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: apktool from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','ansicon' - Scoop - main/apktool: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/apktool.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [openjdk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openjdk/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [bundletool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bundletool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: android, apk, cli, developer-tools. - [dex2jar](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dex2jar/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: android, cli, developer-tools, reverse-engineering. - [adb-enhanced](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adb-enhanced/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: android, cli, developer-tools. - [capstone](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/capstone/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, reverse-engineering. - [cfr-decompiler](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cfr-decompiler/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, reverse-engineering. - [decompose](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/decompose/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, reverse-engineering. - [fdroidcl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fdroidcl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: android, cli, developer-tools. - [fdroidserver](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fdroidserver/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: android, cli, developer-tools. - [kaitai-struct-compiler](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kaitai-struct-compiler/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: binary, cli, developer, developer-tools, engineering. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/apktool.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/apktool.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph