How to reduce Android APK size in react-native?

You can try following steps

• Open up android/app/build.gradle
• Set def enableProguardInReleaseBuilds = true this would enable Progaurd to compress the Java Bytecode. This reduces the app size by a tad bit
• Set def enableSeparateBuildPerCPUArchitecture = true . Android devices support two major device artitectures armebi and x86. By default RN builds the native librariers for both these artitectures into the same apk.

Setting the last function creates two distinct apk in the build folder. You have to upload both of this apk to Play Store and Google would take care of distributing the app to the correct architectures. Using this split generates version numbers for both apks in the order of 104856 and such. This is auto-generated by the build to avoid version conflicts, so don’t freak out (I did). This split reduced the apk size from around 7MB to 3.5MB for arm and 5MB for x86 respectively.

You can find more information in this article https://medium.com/@aswinmohanme/how-i-reduced-the-size-of-my-react-native-app-by-86-27be72bba640

Seem like android app bundle can help you. But i will also answer the question how to reduce Android APK size in react-native

there are many ways to optimize app install size of a mobile app build with react-native.

a react-native app size depend on:

• total Js code imported in your app (included in node_modules)

• total Native code use in your app.

• Total assets (images/ videos/ media ...)

• variant of devices your app supported

To reduce / optimize your app size, you have to optimize 4 things above

First, js code

We write JS code, react components then update, replace by new others. By times, js code base growth. and become mess & smelling, useless but hard to remove from code base. It make your app size growth by still imported in your code base but never to be use.

-> Check, refactors your JS code after 1 / 2 phase of features development to make your code beauty & lean.

Second, Native code

• Native side seem like a mystery cave with JS react-native developers and beginners. In native libraries have a ton of Java / Objective-C codes which hard to reach by developer. Some of their un-controlled or not necessary.

Abuse native libraries can soaring your app size and make some weird crashes

-> Don't use native libraries if you don't need it or you can do it by js code. -> use Proguard to thin your app size by shrink code and remove unused codes. My apps reduced 15% - 20% app size after configured proguard.

Learn more about proguard here

Third, Assets

Assets like images, sounds or video are usually have high weight. To optimize assets you can use some tips below:

• use webp format images

• do not abuse png, gif format if jpg is enough

• Optimize image files size using some tools like tinypng.com It's pretty good and fast

• use vector icons. Like react-native-vector-icons

• Do not included high weight assets in bundle, you can processing download and setup they when first times users open app.

Last, config variant of devices your app supported

• If your app target some specify devices, os versions. You can limit it, remove unsupported architectures. It's can reduced 2% -> 10% base on what you removed.

• Use Android app bundle, it's recommended by Google. if your app sold in Play Store. It will separate your bundle file into many installable apk files base on device types. So your app only included assets / code necessary for only this device type. Amazing, right?

  Learn more about Android App Bundle here

one of my apps if build for type APK is 40MB. When build type AAB is 40 MB. But install file from Goole play store only 13 -> 17 MB depend on device types.

Switch on these options

def enableProguardInReleaseBuilds = true
def enableSeparateBuildPerCPUArchitecture = true

Find alternatives for large-sized modules

Use cost-of-modules (npm package that will list the size of packages in your peoject) ... and try to find an alternative for costy-packages

Build .apk to .aab file and then deploy .aab file to google play console. please read about app bundle concept in devloper site. https://developer.android.com/guide/app-bundle