How to Fix apksigner Error 1 When Exporting for Android
If you are developing an Android app, you may encounter an error message like this when trying to export your app for release:
apksigner returned with error #1
This error means that the apksigner tool failed to sign your app's APK file, which is required for installing and updating your app on Android devices. In this article, we will explain what apksigner is, why you need it, what causes this error, and how to fix it step by step.
apksigner error 1
What is apksigner and why do you need it?
apksigner is a tool that lets you sign and verify APKs
apksigner is a command-line tool that is part of the Android SDK build tools. It lets you sign APKs (Android application packages) and confirm that their signatures are valid on all supported versions of Android. Signing an APK means attaching a digital certificate to it that identifies the author of the app and ensures that the app has not been tampered with.
Signing your APK is required for installing and updating your app on Android devices
Android requires that all apps be digitally signed with a certificate before they can be installed or updated on a device. This ensures that users can trust that the app comes from a legitimate source and has not been modified by a third party. Signing your APK also enables features such as Google Play App Signing, which lets Google manage and protect your app's signing key for you.
What causes apksigner error 1 and how to avoid it?
apksigner error 1 means that the tool failed to sign the APK
When you use apksigner to sign an APK, you need to provide some information such as the keystore file, the key alias, and the passwords for both. The tool then uses this information to generate a signature for the APK and attach it to the file. If something goes wrong during this process, the tool returns an error code of 1, indicating that it failed to sign the APK.
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Common causes of apksigner error 1 are:
Incorrect or missing keystore or key information
A keystore is a file that contains one or more private keys that are used to sign your app. A key alias is a name that identifies a specific key in the keystore. You need to provide the correct keystore file, key alias, and passwords for both when signing your APK. If you provide the wrong information or leave any of them blank, apksigner will not be able to sign your APK and will return an error 1.
Incompatible or outdated SDK build tools or JDK version
SDK build tools are a set of tools that are used to build, test, and debug Android apps. JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software package that contains the Java compiler and other tools that are required to run Java programs. apksigner is one of the SDK build tools that depends on the JDK to function properly. You need to have the latest version of SDK build tools and JDK 8 or higher installed on your computer when signing your APK. If you have an older or incompatible version of either of them, apksigner may not work as expected and may return an error 1.
Modifying the APK after signing it
After you sign your APK, you should not make any changes to it, such as adding or removing files, renaming or moving folders, or using other tools to optimize or compress it. Doing so will invalidate the signature and cause apksigner to fail when verifying the APK. You should always sign your APK as the last step before exporting it for release. If you need to modify your APK after signing it, you need to sign it again with the same keystore and key.
How to fix apksigner error 1 step by step?
Step 1: Check your keystore and key information
Make sure you have a valid keystore file and key alias
A keystore file is usually a file with a .jks or .keystore extension that contains one or more private keys that are used to sign your app. A key alias is a name that identifies a specific key in the keystore. You can create a keystore file and a key alias using tools such as Android Studio, Keytool, or KeyStore Explorer. You need to provide the exact path and name of the keystore file and the key alias when signing your APK. For example:
apksigner sign --ks mykeystore.jks --ks-key-alias mykeyalias myapp.apk
If you do not have a keystore file or a key alias, you need to create one before signing your APK. If you have forgotten your keystore file or key alias, you can try to find them using tools such as KeyStore Explorer or Android Studio.
Make sure you enter the correct passwords for your keystore and key
When you create a keystore file and a key alias, you need to set passwords for both of them. These passwords are used to protect your private keys from unauthorized access. You need to enter the correct passwords for both your keystore and key when signing your APK. For example:
apksigner sign --ks mykeystore.jks --ks-key-alias mykeyalias --ks-pass pass:keystorepassword --key-pass pass:keypassword myapp.apk
If you have forgotten your passwords, you may not be able to recover them unless you have a backup of your keystore file or a record of your passwords somewhere. In that case, you may need to create a new keystore file and key alias and sign your APK with them.
Make sure you use the same keystore and key for signing and verifying your APK
You should always use the same keystore file and key alias for signing and verifying your APK. This ensures that the signature is consistent and valid on all supported versions of Android. If you use different keystores or keys for signing and verifying your APK, apksigner may return an error 1 when verifying the APK. For example:
apksigner sign --ks mykeystore.jks --ks-key-alias mykeyalias myapp.apk apksigner verify --ks anotherkeystore.jks --ks-key-alias anotherkeyalias myapp.apk
This will result in an error 1 because the signatures do not match. You should use the same keystore file and key alias for both commands:
apksigner sign --ks mykeystore.jks --ks-key-alias mykeyalias myapp.apk apksigner verify --ks mykeystore.jks --ks-key-alias mykeyalias myapp.apk
This will verify the signature successfully.
Step 2: Update your SDK build tools and JDK version
Make sure you have the latest version of SDK build tools installedSDK build tools are a set of tools that are used to build, test, and debug Android apps. They include tools such as apksigner, zipalign, aapt, and dx. You can install and update SDK build tools using Android Studio, the SDK Manager, or the command line. You should always have the latest version of SDK build tools installed on your computer when signing your APK. This ensures that you have the most up-to-date features and bug fixes for the tools. To check your SDK build tools version, you can use the following command:
apksigner --version
This will show you the version number of apksigner and the SDK build tools. For example:
0.9 Android/apksigner (build-tools) 30.0.3
This means that you have apksigner version 0.9 and SDK build tools version 30.0.3 installed. If you have an older version of SDK build tools, you should update it to the latest version using one of the methods mentioned above.
Make sure you have JDK 8 or higher installed
JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software package that contains the Java compiler and other tools that are required to run Java programs. apksigner is one of the SDK build tools that depends on the JDK to function properly. You need to have JDK 8 or higher installed on your computer when signing your APK. This ensures that you have the compatible Java version and features for the tool. To check your JDK version, you can use the following command:
java -version
This will show you the version number of Java that you have installed. For example:
java version "1.8.0_281" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_281-b09) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.281-b09, mixed mode)
This means that you have JDK 8 update 281 installed. If you have an older or incompatible version of JDK, you should update it to JDK 8 or higher using one of the methods mentioned here.
Make sure you set the correct paths for SDK build tools and JDK in your environment variables or project settings
Environment variables are settings that affect how your computer runs programs and commands. Project settings are settings that affect how your IDE (Integrated Development Environment) such as Android Studio runs programs and commands for a specific project. You need to set the correct paths for SDK build tools and JDK in your environment variables or project settings when signing your APK. This ensures that apksigner can find and use the tools and libraries that it needs to sign your APK.
To set the path for SDK build tools in your environment variables, you need to add the following entry to your PATH variable:
%ANDROID_HOME%\build-tools\version
Where %ANDROID_HOME% is the path to your Android SDK folder and version is the version number of your SDK build tools. For example:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\build-tools\30.0.3
To set the path for JDK in your environment variables, you need to add the following entry to your JAVA_HOME variable:
%JDK_HOME%
Where %JDK_HOME% is the path to your JDK folder. For example:
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_281
To set the paths for SDK build tools and JDK in your project settings, you need to follow the instructions for your specific IDE such as Android Studio, Eclipse, or IntelliJ IDEA.
Step 3: Do not modify the APK after signing it
Make sure you sign the APK before using zipalign or other tools to optimize itzipalign is a tool that is part of the SDK build tools that optimizes the alignment of the data in your APK file. This reduces the amount of RAM that your app uses and improves its performance. However, zipalign also modifies the structure of your APK file, which can affect its signature. Therefore, you should always sign your APK before using zipalign or other tools to optimize it. If you use zipalign or other tools after signing your APK, you need to sign it again with the same keystore and key.
Make sure you do not change the contents or structure of the APK after signing it
After you sign your APK, you should not make any changes to its contents or structure, such as adding or removing files, renaming or moving folders, or changing the manifest or resources. Doing so will invalidate the signature and cause apksigner to fail when verifying the APK. You should always sign your APK as the last step before exporting it for release. If you need to change your APK after signing it, you need to sign it again with the same keystore and key.
Make sure you use the same signature scheme for signing and verifying your APK
A signature scheme is a method of generating and verifying signatures for APKs. There are different signature schemes available for different versions of Android, such as v1 (JAR), v2 (Full APK), and v3 (APK Signature Scheme v3). You should always use the same signature scheme for signing and verifying your APK. This ensures that the signature is compatible and valid on all supported versions of Android. If you use different signature schemes for signing and verifying your APK, apksigner may return an error 1 when verifying the APK. For example:
apksigner sign --v1-signing-enabled true --v2-signing-enabled false --v3-signing-enabled false myapp.apk apksigner verify --v1-signing-enabled false --v2-signing-enabled true --v3-signing-enabled true myapp.apk
This will result in an error 1 because the signatures do not match. You should use the same signature scheme for both commands:
apksigner sign --v1-signing-enabled true --v2-signing-enabled false --v3-signing-enabled false myapp.apk apksigner verify --v1-signing-enabled true --v2-signing-enabled false --v3-signing-enabled false myapp.apk
This will verify the signature successfully.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained what apksigner is, why you need it, what causes apksigner error 1, and how to fix it step by step. We hope that this article has helped you solve your problem and export your app for Android successfully. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
FAQs
What is an APK file?
An APK file is an Android application package file that contains all the files and resources that are needed to run an app on an Android device. An APK file has a .apk extension and can be installed on a device by tapping on it or using a file manager app.
What is a keystore file?
A keystore file is a file that contains one or more private keys that are used to sign your app. A keystore file has a .jks or .keystore extension and can be created using tools such as Android Studio, Keytool, or KeyStore Explorer.
What is a key alias?
A key alias is a name that identifies a specific key in a keystore file. A key alias can be any string that you choose when creating a key using tools such as Android Studio, Keytool, or KeyStore Explorer.
What is JDK?
JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software package that contains the Java compiler and other tools that are required to run Java programs. JDK can be downloaded from here.
What is SDK build tools?
SDK build tools are a set of tools that are used to build, test, and debug Android apps. They include tools such as apksigner, zipalign, aapt, and dx. SDK build tools can be installed and updated using Android Studio, the SDK Manager, or the command line. 44f88ac181
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