Does the android device download the entire published APK?

Issue

I publish an app to Play Store by uploading an APK that contains resources (drawables, layouts, etc) optimised for various screen sizes and densities.

I'd like to know if as an end-user when I install the app on my device, does the entire apk gets downloaded as is, or does Google smartly removes resources that are irrelevant to the end-user's device depending on the device's screen size and/or density? If it does the smart work, what about the default "drawables" directory?

Solution

does Google smartly removes resources that are irrelevant to the end-user's device depending on the device's screen size and/or density?

No. Modifying the APK would invalidate your digital signature.

Some distribution channels, like the Play Store, allow you to upload different APKs for different configurations, such as different densities or CPU architectures.

Answered By - CommonsWare