How to create a signed APK file using Cordova command line interface?

Step 1:

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example> cordova plugin rm org.apache.cordova.console --save

add the --save so that it removes the plugin from the config.xml file.

Step 2:

To generate a release build for Android, we first need to make a small change to the AndroidManifest.xml file found in platforms/android. Edit the file and change the line:

<application android:debuggable="true" android:hardwareAccelerated="true" android:icon="@drawable/icon" android:label="@string/app_name">

and change android:debuggable to false:

<application android:debuggable="false" android:hardwareAccelerated="true" android:icon="@drawable/icon" android:label="@string/app_name">

As of cordova 6.2.0 remove the android:debuggable tag completely. Here is the explanation from cordova:

Explanation for issues of type "HardcodedDebugMode": It's best to leave out the android:debuggable attribute from the manifest. If you do, then the tools will automatically insert android:debuggable=true when building an APK to debug on an emulator or device. And when you perform a release build, such as Exporting APK, it will automatically set it to false.

If on the other hand you specify a specific value in the manifest file, then the tools will always use it. This can lead to accidentally publishing your app with debug information.

Step 3:

Now we can tell cordova to generate our release build:

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example> cordova build --release android

Then, we can find our unsigned APK file in platforms/android/ant-build. In our example, the file was platforms/android/ant-build/Example-release-unsigned.apk

Step 4:

Note : We have our keystore keystoreNAME-mobileapps.keystore in this Git Repo, if you want to create another, please proceed with the following steps.

Key Generation:

Syntax:

keytool -genkey -v -keystore <keystoreName>.keystore -alias <Keystore AliasName> -keyalg <Key algorithm> -keysize <Key size> -validity <Key Validity in Days>

Egs:

keytool -genkey -v -keystore NAME-mobileapps.keystore -alias NAMEmobileapps -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000


keystore password? : xxxxxxx
What is your first and last name? :  xxxxxx
What is the name of your organizational unit? :  xxxxxxxx
What is the name of your organization? :  xxxxxxxxx
What is the name of your City or Locality? :  xxxxxxx
What is the name of your State or Province? :  xxxxx
What is the two-letter country code for this unit? :  xxx

Then the Key store has been generated with name as NAME-mobileapps.keystore

Step 5:

Place the generated keystore in

old version cordova

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build

New version cordova

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\build\outputs\apk

To sign the unsigned APK, run the jarsigner tool which is also included in the JDK:

Syntax:

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore <keystorename> <Unsigned APK file> <Keystore Alias name>

Egs:

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build> jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore NAME-mobileapps.keystore Example-release-unsigned.apk xxxxxmobileapps

OR

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\build\outputs\apk> jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore NAME-mobileapps.keystore Example-release-unsigned.apk xxxxxmobileapps

Enter KeyPhrase as 'xxxxxxxx'

This signs the apk in place.

Step 6:

Finally, we need to run the zip align tool to optimize the APK:

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build> zipalign -v 4 Example-release-unsigned.apk Example.apk 

OR

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build> C:\Phonegap\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140624\sdk\build-tools\android-4.4W\zipalign -v 4 Example-release-unsigned.apk Example.apk

OR

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\build\outputs\apk> C:\Phonegap\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140624\sdk\build-tools\android-4.4W\zipalign -v 4 Example-release-unsigned.apk Example.apk

Now we have our final release binary called example.apk and we can release this on the Google Play Store.

An update to @malcubierre for Cordova 4 (and later)-

Create a file called release-signing.properties and put in APPFOLDER\platforms\android folder

Contents of the file: edit after = for all except 2nd line

storeFile=C:/yourlocation/app.keystore
storeType=jks
keyAlias=aliasname
keyPassword=aliaspass
storePassword=password

Then this command should build a release version:

cordova build android --release

UPDATE - This was not working for me Cordova 10 with android 9 - The build was replacing the release-signing.properties file. I had to make a build.json file and drop it in the appfolder, same as root. And this is the contents - replace as above:

{
"android": {
    "release": {
       "keystore": "C:/yourlocation/app.keystore",
        "storePassword": "password",
        "alias": "aliasname",
        "password" : "aliaspass",
        "keystoreType": ""
    }
}
}

Run it and it will generate one of those release-signing.properties in the android folder

In the current documentation we can specify a build.json with the keystore:

{
     "android": {
         "debug": {
             "keystore": "..\android.keystore",
             "storePassword": "android",
             "alias": "mykey1",
             "password" : "password",
             "keystoreType": ""
         },
         "release": {
             "keystore": "..\android.keystore",
             "storePassword": "",
             "alias": "mykey2",
             "password" : "password",
             "keystoreType": ""
         }
     }
 }

And then, execute the commando with --buildConfig argumente, this way:

cordova run android --buildConfig

Step1:

Go to cordova\platforms\android ant create a fille called ant.properties file with the keystore file info (this keystore can be generated from your favorite Android SDK, studio...):

key.store=C:\\yourpath\\Yourkeystore.keystore
key.alias=youralias

Step2:

Go to cordova path and execute:

cordova build android --release

Note: You will be prompted asking your keystore and key password

An YourApp-release.apk will appear in \cordova\platforms\android\ant-build