unzip app.apk -d apk_extracted/ Inside, find classes.dex (or multiple classes2.dex , classes3.dex , etc. for multidex). Use a dex-to-jar converter like dex2jar or enjarify (Google’s more accurate tool):
enjarify classes.dex -o output.jar This produces a JAR containing .class files. If you need readable Java code, further decompile the JAR:
# 1. Convert d2j-dex2jar example.apk -o example.jar jadx-gui example.jar apk to jar file converter
d2j-dex2jar classes.dex -o output.jar or
(most common):
APK → DEX → Java Bytecode (.class) → JAR An APK is a ZIP archive. Use unzip or any archive manager:
| Feature | APK | Standard JAR | |---------|-----|---------------| | Bytecode format | Dalvik Executable (DEX) | Java Bytecode ( .class ) | | Entry point | AndroidManifest.xml + activities | Main-Class attribute | | UI framework | Android SDK (views, intents) | Swing, JavaFX, or headless | | Native libraries | .so files (ARM/x86) | Usually absent | | Resources | Compiled XML ( .arsc ) | Loose files | unzip app
Because of these differences, a converted JAR will rarely be a fully runnable application. It is best used for or repackaging logic into a standard Java environment. 3. Conversion Methodology The standard conversion pipeline is:
(simpler):