apk-builder-web 3.0.3

Convert any website URL or ZIP file into an Android APK — run it locally or deploy it anywhere

APK Builder – Web to Android APK Converter

Convert any website URL or ZIP file containing HTML/CSS/JS into an installable Android APK — with a single pip install.

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Features

Feature	Description
🌐 URL → APK	Wrap any live website in a native Android WebView
📦 ZIP → APK	Package your local web app ZIP (must contain index.html)
⬇️ Offline mode	Download & bundle a website for offline use
⚙️ Custom config	App name, package ID, version, orientation, status-bar color
🎨 Custom icon	Upload a PNG icon (512×512 recommended)
📲 Dual output	Direct APK download or Android Studio project ZIP
🔴 Real-time log	Live build output streamed to the browser
🔧 Auto-setup	JDK 17 & Android SDK downloaded automatically on first run

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
Python ≥ 3.9	python.org
Java JDK 17+	Auto-downloaded if not found
Android SDK	Auto-downloaded if not found

Java and Android SDK are installed automatically into ~/.apk-builder/ on first run. You don’t need to install anything manually.

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Install & Run

pip install apk-builder-web
apk-builder

The browser opens automatically at http://localhost:3000.

Custom port:

apk-builder --port 8080

Don’t open browser automatically:

apk-builder --no-open

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Build an APK

1. Open http://localhost:3000
2. Choose Web URL or ZIP File tab
3. Fill in app name, package name (e.g. com.yourname.appname)
4. Click Build APK
5. Watch the real-time build log
6. Download the APK or the Android Studio project ZIP

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Project Structure

apk_builder/
├── server.py              ← Flask + Socket.IO server
├── cli.py                 ← `apk-builder` CLI entry point
├── utils/
│   ├── build_apk.py       ← Android project generator + Gradle runner
│   ├── web_scraper.py     ← Website downloader (offline mode)
│   ├── zip_handler.py     ← ZIP extractor
│   └── env_setup.py       ← Auto-installs JDK & Android SDK
├── public/
│   ├── index.html         ← Web UI
│   ├── style.css
│   └── script.js
├── templates/
│   └── android/           ← Android project template
pyproject.toml
requirements.txt

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How It Works

1. On startup — JDK 17 and Android SDK are checked and auto-downloaded if missing
2. ZIP/URL source → web files extracted/downloaded to a temp folder
3. Android project created from the template with your app settings applied
4. Web files copied into app/src/main/assets/www/
5. MainActivity.java generated to load file:///android_asset/www/index.html (or the live URL in online mode)
6. Gradle builds the APK
7. APK (or project ZIP) served for download

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FAQ

Q: The APK installs but shows a blank screen.
A: Make sure your web app works from index.html at the root of the ZIP. All asset paths must be relative (e.g. ./style.css not /style.css).

Q: I see “Gradle not found” in the log.
A: Download the project ZIP, open in Android Studio, and click ▶ Run.

Q: How do I sign the APK for the Play Store?
A: The debug APK is for testing. For release, open the project in Android Studio → Build → Generate Signed Bundle/APK.

Q: Where are JDK and Android SDK installed?
A: In ~/.apk-builder/jdk and ~/.apk-builder/android-sdk. Delete that folder to force a re-download.

Q: Can I run this on a VPS/server?
A: Yes. The auto-setup works on Linux servers too. Set the PORT env var to change the port:

PORT=8080 apk-builder --no-open

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License

MIT

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
Node.js ≥ 18	nodejs.org
Java JDK 17+	Required for Gradle
Android SDK	Part of Android Studio

Without Java/Android SDK the tool still works — it generates an Android Studio project ZIP you can open and build manually.

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1. Install & Run

Windows:

install.bat

macOS / Linux:

chmod +x install.sh && ./install.sh

Manual:

npm install
node server.js

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

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2. Set up Android SDK (for direct APK building)

1. Install Android Studio
2. Open Android Studio → SDK Manager → Install Android SDK Platform 34
3. Set ANDROID_HOME environment variable:
   • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk
   • macOS: ~/Library/Android/sdk
   • Linux: ~/Android/Sdk
4. Add Gradle to PATH (Android Studio bundles it at <studio>/plugins/gradle/lib/gradle-launcher-*.jar)

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3. Build an APK

1. Open http://localhost:3000
2. Choose Web URL or ZIP File tab
3. Fill in app name, package name (e.g. com.yourname.appname)
4. Click Build APK
5. Watch the real-time build log
6. Download the APK or the Android Studio project

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Project Structure

APK BUILDER/
├── server.js              ← Express + Socket.io server
├── package.json
├── public/
│   ├── index.html         ← Web UI
│   ├── style.css
│   └── script.js
├── utils/
│   ├── buildApk.js        ← Android project generator + Gradle runner
│   ├── webScraper.js      ← Website downloader (offline mode)
│   └── zipHandler.js      ← ZIP extractor
├── templates/
│   └── android/           ← Android project template
│       ├── app/
│       │   ├── build.gradle
│       │   └── src/main/
│       │       ├── AndroidManifest.xml
│       │       ├── assets/www/    ← web files placed here
│       │       ├── java/          ← MainActivity.java (generated)
│       │       └── res/
│       ├── build.gradle
│       ├── settings.gradle
│       ├── gradle.properties
│       └── gradlew / gradlew.bat
├── uploads/               ← Temporary upload storage (auto-created)
└── builds/                ← Build outputs (auto-created)
    └── <buildId>/
        ├── app-debug.apk  ← Built APK (if Gradle available)
        └── project.zip    ← Android Studio project

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How It Works

1. ZIP/URL source → web files extracted/downloaded to a temp folder
2. Android project created from the template with app settings applied
3. Web files copied into app/src/main/assets/www/
4. MainActivity.java generated to load file:///android_asset/www/index.html (or the live URL in online mode)
5. Gradle builds the APK if Android SDK is available
6. APK (or project ZIP) served for download

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Deploying to Another Machine / Server

# On the target machine
git clone <this-repo>   # or copy the folder
npm install
node server.js

Set PORT env var to change the port:

PORT=8080 node server.js

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FAQ

Q: The APK installs but shows a blank screen.
A: Make sure your web app works from index.html at the root of the ZIP. Paths must be relative.

Q: I see "Gradle not found" in the log.
A: That's fine — download the project ZIP, open in Android Studio, and click ▶ Run.

Q: How do I sign the APK for release / Play Store?
A: The debug APK is self-signed. For release, open the project in Android Studio → Build → Generate Signed Bundle/APK.

Q: Can I run this on a VPS/server?
A: Yes. Without Android SDK on the server, users always get a project ZIP. With Android SDK installed server-side (e.g. via sdkmanager), you get full APK builds.

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License

MIT