[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"howto:aar:android:en":3},{"resolvedFromAlias":4,"canonicalExt":5,"ext":5,"name":6,"category":7,"categoryName":8,"updatedAt":9,"os":10,"osLabel":11,"quickSolution":12,"stepByStep":13,"recommendedSoftware":15,"alternativeMethods":16,"commonIssues":17,"securityNote":36,"extensionPath":37,"extensionLabel":38,"breadcrumbs":39,"metaDescription":49},false,"aar","Android Archive (AAR) library package","archives","Archives","2026-06-12T09:15:17.993Z","android","Android","To open .AAR files on Android, android typically won’t “open” AARs as apps; to inspect contents, move it to a desktop and open it as a ZIP, or use it only as a library dependency in an Android development environment.",[14],"Android typically won’t “open” AARs as apps; to inspect contents, move it to a desktop and open it as a ZIP, or use it only as a library dependency in an Android development environment.",[],[],[18,24,30],{"title":19,"description":20,"steps":21},"It won’t open (or opens in the wrong app)","Many systems don’t associate .aar with a viewer. An AAR is a ZIP-based library package, not a document or installer, so double-click behavior is inconsistent.",[22,23],"Make a copy of the file and rename the extension from .aar to .zip.","Open/extract it using any ZIP-capable archive tool, then inspect files like AndroidManifest.xml, classes.jar, and res/.",{"title":25,"description":26,"steps":27},"Expecting an app installer or executable","AAR is a library distribution format for Android builds; it is not an APK and cannot be installed or launched on a device.",[28,29],"If you need to install something on Android, you likely need an .apk, not an .aar.","If you are developing, add the AAR as a dependency in your Android Studio/Gradle project per Android’s library documentation.",{"title":31,"description":32,"steps":33},"The file looks like a ZIP but tools complain it is corrupted","Because AAR is a ZIP container, partial downloads or modifications can break the archive structure and cause extraction errors.",[34,35],"Re-download or re-copy the AAR to ensure the transfer completed successfully.","Try extracting with a different ZIP tool; if multiple tools fail, the archive is likely damaged.","An AAR is a ZIP-based archive and can bundle compiled code (for example, classes.jar). Treat AARs from untrusted sources like any third-party library: using them in a build can introduce untrusted code into your app.","/file-extension/aar",".AAR",[40,43,46],{"label":41,"to":42},"Home","/",{"label":44,"to":45},"How To","/file-extension",{"label":47,"to":48},"Open .AAR on Android","/how-to/open-aar-on-android","Learn how to open .AAR files on Android with step-by-step instructions, recommended software, and troubleshooting tips."]