[Android] arnabJ:
App modding & editing : Decompile, edit, recompile.

WELCOME TO APP MODIFICATION GUIDE POST-1.

FOR WINDOWS.

​

WHAT YOU WILL GET HERE :angel::

TUTORIAL TO EASILY DECOMPILE N RECOMPILE APPS.

A SIMPLE EXAMPLE MODIFICATION THROUGH DIFFERENT TOOLS.

LINKS TO VARIOUS GUIDES TO MOD DIFFERENT APPS.

WHAT YOU WONT GET HERE :mad::

PRE MODDED APPS

SPOON FED GUIDE TO MOD EACH AND EVERY APP U LIKE.

TOOL NO. 1: APKTOOL

STEPS:

DOWNLOAD N EXTRACT THE REQUIRED FILES TO : "C/APKTOOL/HERE"

OPEN APKTOOL FOLDER IN LOCAL DISK C : "C/APKTOOL"

COPY PASTE YOUR "framework-res.apk" IN THIS FOLDER. [C/APKTOOL/HERE].

NOTE:

SAMSUNG USERS YOU ALSO NEED TO COPY PASTE "twframework-res.apk" HERE.

HTC USERS YOU ALSO NEED TO COPY PASTE "com.htc.resources.apk" HERE.

OPEN CMD WINDOW : CLICK ON START/RUN N TYPE "cmd" WITHOUT QUOTES & PRESS ENTER

TYPE : cd C:\apktool N PRESS ENTER

U WILL SEE A NEW LINE STARTING WITH : "C:\APKTOOL>"

THEN TYPE "apktool if framework-res.apk" WITHOUT QUOTES N PRESS ENTER.

NOTE:

SAMSUNG USERS YOU NEED TO DO AN EXTRA STEP. AFTER ABOVE STEP AGAIN TYPE : "apktool if twframework-res.apk" WITHOUT QUOTES N PRESS ENTER.

HTC USERS YOU NEED TO DO AN EXTRA STEP. AFTER ABOVE STEP AGAIN TYPE : "apktool if com.htc.resources.apk" WITHOUT QUOTES N PRESS ENTER.

ABOUT THIS STEP:

THESE STEPS INSTALLS YOUR FRAMEWORK DEPENDENCIES SO THAT YOU CAN EASILY DECOMPILE AND RECOMPILE APPS.

MINIMIZE THE CMD WINDOW FOR NOW.

COPY PASTE ANY APP THAT YOU WANT TO EDIT TO THE APKTOOL FOLDER : [C/APKTOOL/YourChoice.apk].

MAXIMIZE THE CMD WINDOW N TYPE : "apktool d YourChoice.apk" WITHOUT QUOTES N PRESS ENTER.

ABOUT THIS STEP:

THIS STEP DE-COMPILES YOUR APP FOR YOU TO EDIT IT.

MINIMIZE THE CMD WINDOW AGAIN FOR NOW.

AFTER DOING ALL YOUR MODIFICATIONS MAXIMIZE THE CMD WINDOW N TYPE : "apktool b YourChoice" WITHOUT QUOTES N PRESS ENTER.

NOTE:

HERE IN THIS CODE "YourChoice" IS THE NAME OF THE APP THAT YOU DECOMPILED BUT WITHOUT THE EXTENSION ".apk", FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU DECOMPILE SystemUi.apk THEN YOU WILL WRITE : "apktool b SystemUI"

YOU WILL GET A "dist" NAMED FOLDER IN C/APKTOOL/YourChoice/here.

OPEN THAT FOLDER. THERE YOU WOULD FIND YOUR RECOMPILED APK.[C/APKTOOL/YourChoice/dist/YourChoice.apk].

NOW SIGN YOUR MODDED APK BY FOLLOWING THE GUIDE IN THE END OF THIS POST.

IF EVERY THING GOES WELL THEN YOUR APP WILL BE RECOMPILED WITHOUT ANY ERRORS.

IF NOT THEN ASK FOR HELP IN THE CONCERNED THREAD OF THE GUIDE THAT YOU USED FOR MODDING.

TOOL NO. 2: APK MULTI TOOL

STEPS:

DOWNLOAD N EXTRACT APK MULTI TOOL AT : "C/APKMULTITOOL/HERE"

YOU WILL GET THESE FILES AND/OR FOLDERS IN THE FOLDER AFTER EXTRACTING THE DOWNLOADED FILE:

docs

other

themer

.gitattributes

.gitignore

APK-Multi-Tool.log

CHANGELOG

README

Script.bat

Setup.bat

setuplog.log

RUN Setup.bat BY DOUBLE CLICKING ON IT.

TYPE 3 N PRESS ENTER.

ABOUT THIS STEP: THIS STEP SETUPS THE TOOL FOR USE. YOU NEED TO DO IT ONLY ONCE.

MINIMIZE THE WINDOW.

COPY PASTE YOUR "framework-res.apk" IN other FOLDER. [C/APKMULTITOOL/other/HERE].

NOTE:

SAMSUNG USERS YOU ALSO NEED TO COPY PASTE "twframework-res.apk" HERE.

HTC USERS YOU ALSO NEED TO COPY PASTE "com.htc.resources.apk" HERE.

MAXIMIZE THE setup.bat WINDOW N TYPE 2 N PRESS ENTER

NOW TYPE THE DESIRED OPTION N PRESS ENTER

ABOUT THIS STEP:

THIS STEP INSTALL THE FRAMEWORKS. YOU NEED TO DO IT ONLY ONCE.

YOU CAN NOW CLOSE THIS WINDOW.

YOU HAVE NOW SUCCESSFULLY SET UP WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR APK MODDING THROUGH APK MULTI TOOL.

COPY PASTE THE APP YOU WANT TO MOD TO THE FOLDER NAMED : "place-apk-here-for-modding" [C/APKMULTITOOL/place-apk-here-for-modding/YourChoice.apk]

RUN Script.bat BY DOUBLE CLICKING ON IT.

PRESS ENTER TO GET TO THE MENU.

TYPE 25 N PRESS ENTER.

A NEW MENU APPEARS.

TYPE THE DESIRED OPTION N PRESS ENTER.

ABOUT THIS STEP:

THIS STEP LETS YOU CHOOSE THE APP YOU WANT TO EDIT.

TYPE 9 N PRESS ENTER TO DECOMPILE YOUR APK. [YOUR DECOMPILED APP WOULD IS AT "projects" FOLDER.[C/APKMULTITOOL/projects/YourChoice.apk]

MINIMIZE THE WINDOW FOR NOW. DO NOT CLOSE IT.

DO ALL THE MODS YOU LIKE TO N SAVE ALL THE FILES.

MAXIMIZE THE script.bat WINDOW N TYPE 12 N PRESS ENTER.

THEN WHEN ASKED TO SELECT THE WAY TO CREATE THE APK TYPE 2 N PRESS ENTER

NOTE:

ALWAYS TYPE 12 TO RECOMPILE THE APK. DO NOT TYPE 11 EVEN IF ITS A SYSTEM APP. THAT MAY GIVE FORCE CLOSE. ONCE YOU ARE FLUENT WILL ALL THESE YOU CAN TRY THAT OPTION. BUT FOR NOW IGNORE IT.

ABOUT THIS STEP:

THIS STEP RECOMPILES YOUR MODDED APK.

YOU WILL GET AN UNSIGNED APK IN "place-apk-here-for-modding" FOLDER NAMED "unsignedYourChoice.apk"

RENAME IT TO "YourChoice.apk" [YourChoice = THE ORIGINAL NAME OF THE APK, EXAMPLE SystemUI.apk]

NOW SIGN YOUR MODDED APK BY FOLLOWING THE GUIDE IN THE END OF THIS POST.

A SIMPLE GUIDE ON MODDING AN APP:

No Clock: THIS SMALL GUIDE WILL TEACH YOU TO REMOVE THE CLOCK FROM YOUR STATUS-BAR. ITS ONE OF THE SIMPLEST GUIDE IN THE FORUM.

Decompile systemui.apk with apktool or any other app u like.

Go to C\APKTOOL\SystemUI\res\layout\ and open status_bar.xml with notepad++

Search for this line and remove it:-

<com.android.systemui.statusbar.Clock android:textAppearance="@android:style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Icon" android:textSize="16.0sp" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/clock" android:paddingRight="6.0dip" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />

Now compile back apk file, sign it and push back to system/app.

CONGRATULATIONS...!! YOU HAVE JUST SUCCESSFULLY MODDED YOUR FIRST APP. KEEP IT UP.:good:

IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SUCH A SIMPLE MODDING... NOT TO WORRY.:angel: TRY N TRY TILL YOU SUCCEED. NO 1'S PERFECT.:o

FEEL FREE TO ASK IN THIS THREAD OR ELSE HERE.

SIGNING THE MODDED APP[ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THING][SAME FOR EVERY OPERATING SYSTEM].

OPEN THE ORIGINAL APK THROUGH AN ARCHIVE MANAGER [WINDOWS USERS YOU USE 7zip FOR BEST RESULTS]

DO THE SAME WITH THE MODDED APP

NOTE:

DO NOT EXTRACT THE APK. JUST OPEN THROUGH THE MANAGER.

NOW MULTI SELECT Meta-inf FOLDER & Android-manifest.xml IN THE ORIGINAL APK N DRAG N DROP TO THE MODDED APK.

CLOSE BOTH THE WINDOWS.

VIOLA... YOUR APP HAS BEEN SIGNED.

LINKS TO VARIOUS GUIDES AROUND XDA:

[GUIDE] [MODS] Collection of mods for all gingerbread[2.3] phones... GUIDE BY lokeshsaini94

[GUIDES COLLECT] Update 24/7/2012 GUIDE BY zcop

[SIMPLE GUIDE + LOCKRINGS] [ALL ANDROID ROMS] Change lockrings on any rom GUIDE BY daveyannihilation

[GUIDE] ICS Style 'Settings.apk' - Make it yourself !! !! GUIDE BY balamu96m

{UPDATE} (Guides)All Guides At one place By hpsgill {10:03:2013} GUIDE BY Hpsgill

CREDITS

TO THE CREATORS OF VARIOUS TOOLS.

TO Master&Slave™ FOR THE DEMO GUIDE MOD Nlokeshsaini94 for the guide itself.

TO lokeshsaini94 ONCE AGAIN FOR TEACHING ME HOW TO DECOMPILE/RECOMPILE APPS N ALSO HOW TO SIGN THEM BACK.

TO

lokeshsaini94

zcop

daveyannihilation

balamu96m

Hpsgill

FOR ALL THE GUIDES

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST TO ME FOR THE WHOLE GUIDE.

Please press the thanxxx button if this post/thread helped you even a bit. Be generous n donate to help me n to praise my hard work. ALSO THANK ALL THE PERSONS WHOSE NAMES ARE THERE IN THE CREDITS. CUZ WITOUT THEM THIS GUIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN INCOMPLETE.