Starting in May 2023, Google TV and Android TV require Android installers to transition from the current APK format to the AAB (Android App Bundle) format. This requirement has already been implemented in Android smartphones.
Android App Bundle is a publishing format that contains all the compiled code and resources of your application, and it will hand over APK generation and signing to Google Play. According to Google, there are many benefits to switching to the AAB format, including a 20% reduction in the average AAB space footprint, a 60% reduction in storage usage, and more. In addition, Google emphasized that the AAB format is helpful for running Android applications in various device forms, and can make operations such as application updates smoother through the Google Play Store.
Although there is only a 6-month transition period, it sounds tense. However, Google said that it only takes about three days for an engineer to repackage their APK application into AAB. Google has warned developers that their apps could be hidden in TV devices after next May if they haven’t been retrofitted.
