Visual Timer is a minimalistic timer app, yet the APK had ballooned to 7.2 MB — mostly because realm-java adds roughly 4 MB of native libraries. Research shows larger app sizes negatively impact installation rates, so this mattered.
Initial attempts
Adding resource configuration filters to include only supported languages saved about 200 KB. Not enough.
resConfigs "en", "de", "fr", "ru", "vi", "pt-rBR", "it"...
The App Bundle solution
Upgrading to the latest Android Gradle Plugin and building an App Bundle required minimal code changes. The result: install size dropped to around 2–3 MB depending on device configuration.
Challenges
During staged rollout, I discovered compatibility issues with Realm’s native libraries. Some device configurations couldn’t access required libraries, causing crashes for a small percentage of users — a significant problem despite the limited scope.
Takeaway
App Bundle is a valuable tool for reducing install sizes across all application types. But production adoption requires resolving library compatibility issues first — staged rollouts are essential.