IntelliJ IDEA 2016.2 Help

Generating a Signed Release APK Using a Wizard

To deploy and run an Android application on a physical device, you need to sign the application digitally. With IntelliJ IDEA, you can have your Android Application Package (.apk file) signed with an existing release key on package extraction. IntelliJ IDEA also incorporates a release key generation tool that can be invoked during the packaging procedure. Generated keys are saved in a keystore binary file.

You can have as many keystore files and keys as you need and use either existing keys, or create new ones in existing keystores, or even create new keystores.

If you use the Generate Signed APK Wizard, IntelliJ IDEA signs the package on extraction.

On this page:

Extracting and signing an Android application package using a wizard

  1. From the main menu, select Build | Generate Signed APK. The Generate Signed APK Wizard starts.
  2. On the first page, specify the release key you want to use and the keystore file that contains it. Do one of the following:
    • To sign the package with a key from an existing keystore file:
      1. Specify the file location in the Key store path text box. Type the path manually or click the Choose existing button and select the file in the dialog that opens. In the Key store password text box, type the password to the selected keystore.
      2. Specify the key alias and enter the password to access the key.
    • To generate a new key in an existing keystore:
      1. Specify the file location in the Key store path text box. Type the path manually or click the Choose existing button and select the file in the dialog that opens. In the Key store password text box, type the password to the selected keystore.
      2. Click the Create new button and configure the release key to be generated by filling in the data in the New Key Store dialog box that opens.
    • To generate a new keystore file with a new key:
      1. Click the Create new button. In the New Key Store dialog box that opens, specify the location of the file to be generated in the Key store path text box. Type the path manually or click the Browse button browseButton.png, then select the parent folder and specify the name of the file.
      2. Specify and confirm the password to access the keystore.
      3. Configure the new release key by filling in the data in the Key area.

    Click Next.

  3. On the next step, in the Destination APK path text box, specify the folder where the .apk will be saved. Type the path manually, or click the Browse button browseButton and select the target folder in the dialog that opens.
  4. To have IntelliJ IDEA obfuscate the application during the packaging procedure, select the Run ProGuard check box and specify the location of the proguard.txt configuration file. The file is generated on project creation and is stored in the project root. IntelliJ IDEA suggests this default location in the Config file path text box. Accept the suggestion or specify a custom configuration file by clicking the Browse button browseButton.png and selecting the required file in the dialog that opens.
  5. Click Finish to generate and sign the package. IntelliJ IDEA informs you on successful operation completion.
    • To open the folder where the generated .apk file is located, click the Open File Location button.
    • To complete the wizard, click Close.

Generating a new release key

  1. Open the New Key Store dialog box by doing one of the following:
    • On the first page of the Generate Signed APK wizard, click the Create new button.
    • When creating an Android Application artifact definition, click the Create new button in the Android tab.
  2. Specify the keystore location and enter the password to access it.
  3. Assign an alias to the new key in the Alias text box. The key will be referred to using this alias.
  4. Enter the password to the key in the Password text box and confirm it.
  5. Specify the validity period for the key in accordance with the expected lifespan of your application.
  6. Provide the following personal information and click Next:
    • First and Last Name
    • Organizational Unit
    • Organization
    • City or Locality
    • State or Province
    • Country Code

See Also

Last modified: 23 November 2016