Just in time for Windows 11, Amazon AppStore will support app bundles
TL; DR
- Amazon announced that it is working on bringing AAB support to its AppStore.
- The news comes a few weeks after Windows 11 was released.
- Windows 11 offers Android app support through the Amazon AppStore.
In 2018, Google introduced the Android App Bundle (AAB) format, which splits an app into several smaller files to reduce download and installation size. The search giant has since mandated that all new apps submitted starting next month must adopt this format instead of the old APK standard.
Oddly enough, the Amazon AppStore doesn’t support the AAB format at all. But the company has now in a developer blog post (h / t: GSMArena) that it is actually “actively working” to support the format.
The company has not set a deadline for this, but has confirmed that this support is optional. This is in sharp contrast to Google, which is making Android app bundles mandatory from August.
Still, the move comes at a critical time for Amazon. Microsoft’s Windows 11 update includes Android app support and uses the Amazon AppStore as the app market of choice. The support of Android App Bundle is less of a headache for developers who want to bring their apps to the Amazon market and to Windows devices. If this format is not supported, developers will have to manually convert their app bundles to the APK format before submitting them to the Amazon storefront.
That news also comes a few days after Huawei insisted that Google’s decision to make the AAB format mandatory would not hinder Harmony OS development. However, we hope that other app stores and repositories will support the new format if they haven’t already jumped on board.
