Remove APK from library in Google Play Developer Console

Question

Is there a way to remove an APK from the library in the Google Play Developer Console?

To make sure: I don't mean to revert to an earlier version or unpublish an app, but to remove it from the list that can be seen after clicking on "ADD APK FROM LIBRARY" in Release Management>App Release.

The version that I want to remove has not been used in any release.

Goop

Possible duplicate of How remove application from app listings on Android Developer Console – Euh

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because meta.#272665 – Electropositive

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because SO doesn't do questions about app store administration (meta.#272665) – Nilla

Answer 1

Just go to App bundle explorer and remove the needed abb. You can do it with these steps:

1. Open Google Play Console
2. Go to your project
3. Go to the "Release" section of the side-bar
4. Go to the "App bundle explorer"
5. Find the APK/Bundle and click "Delete APK/Bundle".

Keep in mind that you need to detach the specific APK/Bundle from any draft releases and save it. Otherwise, the delete option will not be available.

Hastings

This is very helpful when you get the "You need to use a different version code for your APK because you already have one with version code:" error! – Marginal

-> Find apk and remove it. Remove apk option is not available now – Lumbye

You forgot a step, it needs to be removed from App Releases before it can be removed from the Artifact Library. – Toponym

Not able to see the option to delete the APK..only download is available. – Fugato

delete option is only available if it's not rolled out to production – Ar

I think there was a redesign - the tab is now titled "App bundle explorer" – Logroll

@dchang, also you can't find it in the left column submenu, it's easier is you use "search play console". There is a button top right: "Delete Android App Bundle" – Peake

no option available to delete a bundle that is in the test track. how do i resolve this? – Kenton

April 2022 and this answer is still up to date. Note that the "Delete APK" button is just some greyed out text floating in white space on the right, definitely doesn't look like a button. – Oriel

The delete button was invisible for me because I had the Dark Reader extension on – Polyphonic

Please don't forget that after removing the package/bundle from a draft release you need to save those changes the draft release. Otherwise, the package/bundle will remain staged and the delete button won't appear in App Bundle Explorer. – Hartley

"detach the specific APK/Bundle from any draft releases" how to do so? – Fluoridate

I would say "bad design" to google! Why not just overwrite the old one with a warning? I have two bundles now, and I didn't even do a release. – Selfdiscipline

Answer 2

For new Google Play Console:

Click on App bundle explorer

This is the latest app apk artifact that you have uploaded

For older app in your app library, on your right side of the screen youll see this button. It will open App Library and you can choose .apk file from there

When you click Artifact:your_artifact_name.apk button, this App Library will be shown:

Delete button will appear on the right side, right below the artifact library drop-down menu:

NOTE: If your application is uploaded and have been published on production (was live), you cannot delete that app artifact because holds some production app data.

Wireman

Where is the delete button from the Choose an artifact – Vimen

If your app is uploaded and not yet published, Delete App Bundle will appear right below art, but if your app is uploaded and published, then, you wont have this delete option, regarding that this app artifact has been live and holds some app production data. – Wireman

no Delete Android App Bundle button is there. Wrong information. – Amaryllidaceous

@raman-joshi see my previous comment about why delete button is not there – Wireman

@ViktorJovanovski I have already read all your comments. – Amaryllidaceous

@ViktorJovanovski there is no delete button even for previous app bundle, apk.not anywhere. Why don't you show that button where it is in the second screenshot? – Faithfaithful

@Uğur, thanks for noticing that. Screenshot updated. – Wireman

You're the real MVP for these screenshots. Well done. – Smithsonite

Bundles also cannot be removed when they are part of a draft, even if it hasn't been released. Remove from draft first (and don't forget to save the draft) – Alathia

Sometimes, when everything is grey, you just need someone to post screenshots. App Bundle Explorer was hidden in plain sight for me. Thanks for this. – Mesomorphic

also note that if the bundle is used in Draft, still you won't see the option to delete it, so you must need to discard the release draft on order to delete that bundle – Taeniafuge

Answer 3

Yes you can remove the app

Before Release

1. Open your app
2. Side nav find artifact library
3. You can delete your APK here

After Release

1. Open app
2. Under Release Management your can find artifact library
3. You can delete your APK here

Note: The live version of APK can't be deleted.

Berni

This is correct answer only for those APKs which haven't been used in a rolled out release. Once you roll out a release, you can then delete the APK only when you roll out a newer release. – Euraeurasia

This one is totally out of date. see Viktor Jovanovski's answer above. – Dowlen

Answer 4

There is no way to remove apk from library once it is uploaded. You can upload a new apk with different version code.

Gordon

Not the right answer APK can be deleted from Artifact library – Gordy

Rajesh You will have to upload apk with a higher version code. It can be deleted from Artifact library but you cannot upload apk with same version code again. – Gordon

See @Hastings answer – Onetoone

Answer 5

Yes, you can. As of 14/6(June)/2021, if "Delete App Bundle" doesnt show up, you have to remove that apk/aab file, you added before in a release and should remove that from the release.

At the left of the screen, under "Release" -> "Testing" -> "Open Testing" or "Closed Testing" or "Internal Testing" -> top right screen "Edit Release" -> there's three vertical dotted icon, click to show dropdown menu -> then click at "Remove app bundle" -> don't forget to hit "save".

Now go again to "App Bundle Explorer" and click "Delete App Bundle".

UPDATED NOTE(17/7(July)/2021): Sorry, i don't know other way to delete apk/aab from "App Bundle Explorer", if the app is published and the apk/aab is not a draft. This answer is only for draft releases and not being published.

Exothermic

Production has 2.3.1 open testing instead of 2.3.2 its released as 2.5.1 is possible to go back to 2.3.2 ? – Crossopterygian

@Crossopterygian Sorry, I don't know, I didn't get to that point, but maybe this stack overflow post might help. – Exothermic

In the first step, for Internal testing on a channel were there have been releases already there is no Edit release button, only a Create release button. Maybe you have this button because its the first release of the channel? – Allotrope

Yes, you're right... Sorry, you're right. This answer is for those who have a draft apk/aab in app bundle explorer as you see in first picture and didn't published their app. Mine right now, is exactly as you say. No Edit release button. Instead of Edit release, it's a Create release button. I don't think you can somehow... – Exothermic

This is the right answer as of Feb 2022. – Raspy

@MaheshJamdade Thank you so much Mahesh! I've post this answer because i didn't see any new answer depending with the new "Google play console" as of 2021 and still in 7/Feb/2022. – Exothermic

Answer 6

Go to "App bundle explorer", locate youyr .AAB (or .APK) and select "Delete app bundle".

Remember that this is only possible if the .AAB has not been published!

Alanealanine

I don't have that button :/ – Tubate

@Tubate That`s because your app was already published :( – Alanealanine

My app was published in closed test and it doesn't have this button, I wanted to remove the library versions from the play console and restart the submissions from 1.0 to production – Emporium

Answer 7

To remove an APK (Android application package) from your app's library in the Google Play Developer Console, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Play Developer Console: Go to the Google Play Developer Console website (https://play.google.com/apps/publish/) and
2. sign in with your developer account credentials.
3. Select your app: From the list of your published apps, select the one from which you want to remove the APK.
4. Go to "App releases": On the left-hand side menu, navigate to the "Release" section and then
5. select "App releases".

Scroop

Answer 8

As Google has changed play store console Go To Specific App Go To App Bundle Explorer in Navigation Select the apk at the top right dropdown as AirFact and delete

Achromaticity

Answer 9

In your All applications list you can use the Filter drop-down list (located in the top left-hand corner) to hide applications unpublished apps.

For example:

Without filter

With filter

Nasa

Where is remove button? – Overwork