Last updated: January 2026

Searching for hardcoded API keys, sensitive URLs, or hidden developer comments left in resource files.

The --pretty flag decodes resource IDs into <public> references if possible. You'll see output like:

Open source, cross-platform, scriptable. Cons: No GUI, requires Python.

The keyword encompasses a range of tools from simple dumpers to advanced editors. Your choice depends on your goal:

A dedicated library for parsing resources.arsc programmatically.

Configuration Handling: It contains different versions of resources for various device configurations, such as screen sizes, languages, and API levels.

– Not Recommended for Sensitive APKs

| Feature | apktool | Dedicated ARSC Decompiler | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Limited | Full access | | Modify type names (obfuscation) | Difficult | Direct support | | Patch resource IDs | No | Yes (advanced tools) | | Extract only resource table | Requires full APK decompile | Yes (standalone) | | Inspect config overlays (land-hdpi, etc.) | Yes | Deeper inspection | | Scripting/automation | Via AAPT | Native CLI/API |