Grek Factory

Guide · Android

Android apps with Grek Factory: APK, AAB and Google Play

An Android app can leave Grek Factory as an APK you install directly, or as an Android App Bundle (AAB) that you upload to Google Play. This guide explains the workflow, the difference between the two files and which one to choose.

What is the difference between an APK and an AAB?

An APK is an Android installation package: you can copy it to a compatible phone and install it directly, which makes it the right file for testing. An AAB (Android App Bundle) is the publishing format for Google Play: you upload it in your Google Play Console and Google produces the installable files for each device. An AAB cannot be installed directly.

Which one do I need?

Need to try the app on your own or your testers’ phones now? Use the APK. Publishing in Google Play? Use the AAB. Many projects use both: the APK for testing, the AAB for the store.

Does Grek Factory publish my app to Google Play?

No. You create and own your Google Play developer account. Grek Factory prepares the Android App Bundle and helps with the Android setup; creating the store listing, accepting Google’s declarations and the first upload happen in Google Play Console.

The Android workflow

From your project to a phone or Google Play:

  1. 1. Build and customize the app

    What it is
    Create the prototype and shape it in the editor.
    Why it matters
    The Android file is built from your finished project.
    What Grek Factory does
    Keeps the project saved and consistent.
    What you do
    Edit the pages, content and design.
    What happens next
    Preview it.

    Start building

  2. 2. Preview

    What it is
    Use the app in Live Preview.
    Why it matters
    A file is only worth building once the app behaves the way you expect.
    What Grek Factory does
    Runs the prototype with demo data.
    What you do
    Check the journeys your customers will take.
    What happens next
    Prepare Android.

    Start building

  3. 3. Prepare Android

    What it is
    Complete the Android part of Setup & Launch: the app’s name and identity and the services the app depends on.
    Why it matters
    Android needs a stable app identity, and your own services must be connected for a production app.
    What Grek Factory does
    Lists what Android requires and checks what is already done.
    What you do
    Complete the required steps.
    What happens next
    Choose the file.

    Start building

  4. 4. Choose the output

    What it is
    APK for direct installation, AAB for Google Play.
    Why it matters
    They are different files for different jobs; they are not interchangeable.
    What Grek Factory does
    Builds the file you choose from your project. You see it before you pay and download it afterwards.
    What you do
    Pick APK or AAB (see “Which export do I need?” below).
    What happens next
    Install it or upload it.

    Start building

Android APK

What the format is, and what Grek Factory currently offers.

An APK (Android Package) is the file Android installs. You can send it to testers or copy it to a phone. Android asks the person to allow installing from outside Google Play the first time.

In Grek Factory the APK is built in the cloud from your project. You can see the result before you pay, and the download unlocks after purchase.

Android APK .apk

✓ Available in Early Access

Best for
Installing and testing the app directly on compatible Android phones, without Google Play.
Not for
Uploading to Google Play: the store expects an Android App Bundle.

Start building

Android App Bundle (AAB)

What the format is, and what Grek Factory currently offers.

An Android App Bundle (AAB) is the format Google Play uses for new apps. You upload it in Google Play Console, and Google generates optimized installation files for each device. That is why an AAB cannot be installed directly.

Grek Factory builds the bundle from your project. Uploading it, completing the store listing and releasing it to users are done in your Google Play Console.

Android App Bundle .aab

✓ Available in Early Access

Best for
Uploading the app to Google Play in your own developer account.
Not for
Installing directly on a phone: use the APK for that.

Start building

Which export do I need?

What do you want to do with the Android app?

Install and test it on a phone

Use the Android APK.

Read the Android guide

Start building

Publish it in Google Play

Use the Android App Bundle (AAB).

Read the Android guide

Start building

Keep developing the code myself

Use the Source Code ZIP.

Read the Source code guide

Start building

Release on iPhone

iPhone uses a different file (IPA). See the iPhone guide.

Read the iPhone guide

Google Play and your developer account

Google Play needs a developer account that belongs to you or your company. Google may require identity checks and, for some new accounts, testing before production release. Those steps are between you and Google.

Grek Factory prepares the technical side: the Android identity of your app (package name), the signing set-up and the AAB. Creating the app in Google Play Console, accepting declarations and the first upload are Play Console actions that you perform.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install an AAB on my phone?

Not directly. Use the APK for installing. The AAB is for uploading to Google Play.

Do I need both an APK and an AAB?

Only if you want both: the APK to test on phones now and the AAB to publish. They are built separately.

Is the app tied to my Google Play account?

Your Google Play account and listing belong to you. Grek Factory does not create or own them.

Can I get the source code instead?

Yes, the Source Code ZIP contains the project so you can build the Android app yourself.