List before selecting
Analyze a copy of an APK you own or have permission to inspect:
apkanalyzer files list app.apk
Look through res/drawable*, res/mipmap* and assets/. Preserve the archive paths in your notes. Identical basenames in different density or configuration directories may intentionally represent different resources. File inspection.
Match the image to its context
| Entry type | What you may need |
|---|---|
| PNG, JPEG or WebP | Original dimensions and density qualifier |
| Vector drawable XML | A renderer or source-aware import, not a PNG rename |
| Adaptive icon XML | Foreground, background and possibly monochrome layers |
| Nine-patch image | Preserve stretch-region metadata |
| Framework asset bundle | Framework-specific inspection rather than generic image scanning |
A launcher icon is especially easy to misidentify. Android can select different resources by platform and launcher behavior. A single low-resolution icon extracted from a legacy directory is not necessarily what current devices display.
Extract only the intended entries
Use a trusted archive utility in a dedicated temporary directory, or export selected files from Android Studio's APK Analyzer. Do not let an untrusted archive write over an existing project. Inspect the destination paths and avoid executing scripts or binaries that happen to be packaged beside assets.
For batch extraction, set limits on entry count and total uncompressed size. A small compressed archive can expand into a much larger workspace. This is an operational precaution, not a claim that ordinary APK images are dangerous.
Verify that the output is usable
Open the extracted file in a format-aware viewer and check its dimensions, transparency and color appearance. For a vector or layered icon, compare a rendered result with the app on the intended device configuration. Do not flatten a nine-patch or adaptive icon and then assume it can be reinserted without consequences.
Android Studio's APK Analyzer helps preserve the relationship between resources rather than treating them as an unrelated image folder.
Keep reuse separate from inspection
Possessing an APK does not grant rights to reuse its artwork. For your own lost assets, record the source build and recover the highest-quality available variant. Extracted compressed files may not replace original design files with editable layers.
APKLint's decompiler can help locate packaged assets, but it is not a promise to restore every rendered screen, remote image or original art file. Images downloaded at runtime are not necessarily present in the APK at all.
Sources and further reading
- Android Developers: apkanalyzer command-line reference
- Android Developers: Analyze your build with APK Analyzer
Reference review: 22 September 2026. Examples illustrate the workflow; check your installed versions, release artifact and account-specific Console requirements before applying them. This guide is not a claim that APKLint executed your project or verified your private account.
Android inspection tools and practical release guides. About APKLint · Report a correction
