Build and Install unsigned apk on device without the development server?

You need to manually create the bundle for a debug build.

Bundle debug build:

#React-Native 0.59
react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.js --bundle-output ./android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest ./android/app/src/main/res

#React-Native 0.49.0+
react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.js --bundle-output ./android/app/build/intermediates/assets/debug/index.android.bundle --assets-dest ./android/app/build/intermediates/res/merged/debug

#React-Native 0-0.49.0
react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.android.js --bundle-output ./android/app/build/intermediates/assets/debug/index.android.bundle --assets-dest ./android/app/build/intermediates/res/merged/debug

Then to build the APK's after bundling:

$ cd android
#Create debug build:
$ ./gradlew assembleDebug
#Create release build:
$ ./gradlew assembleRelease #Generated `apk` will be located at `android/app/build/outputs/apk`

P.S. Another approach might be to modify gradle scripts.

Please follow those steps.

Bundle your js:

if you have index.android.js in project root then run

react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.android.js --bundle-output ./android/app/build/intermediates/assets/debug/index.android.bundle --assets-dest ./android/app/build/intermediates/res/merged/debug

if you have index.js in project root then run

react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res

Create debug apk:

cd android/
./gradlew assembleDebug

Then You can find your apk here:

cd app/build/outputs/apk/

React Version 0.62.1

In your root project directory

Make sure you have already directory android/app/src/main/assets/, if not create directory, after that create new file and save as index.android.bundle and put your file in like this android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle

After that run this

react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res/

cd android && ./gradlew assembleDebug

Then you can get apk in app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

With me, in the project directory run the following commands.

For react native old version (you will see index.android.js in root):

mkdir -p android/app/src/main/assets && rm -rf android/app/build && react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.android.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res && cd android && ./gradlew clean assembleRelease && cd ../

For react native new version (you just see index.js in root):

mkdir -p android/app/src/main/assets && rm -rf android/app/build && react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res && cd android && ./gradlew clean assembleRelease && cd ../

The apk file will be generated at:

Gradle < 3.0: android/app/build/outputs/apk/

Gradle 3.0+: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/

After you follow the first response, you can run your app using

react-native run-android --variant=debug

And your app will run without need for the packager

As of react-native 0.57, none of the previously provided answers will work anymore, as the directories in which gradle expects to find the bundle and the assets have changed.

Simple way without react-native bundle

The simplest way to build a debug build is without using the react-native bundle command at all, but by simply modifying your app/build.gradle file.

Inside the project.ext.react map in the app/build.gradle file, add the bundleInDebug: true entry. If you want it to not be a --dev build (no warnings and minified bundle) then you should also add the devDisabledInDebug: true entry to the same map.

With react-native bundle

If for some reason you need to or want to use the react-native bundle command to create the bundle and then the ./gradlew assembleDebug to create the APK with the bundle and the assets you have to make sure to put the bundle and the assets in the correct paths, where gradle can find them.

As of react-native 0.57 those paths are android/app/build/generated/assets/react/debug/index.android.js for the bundle

and android/app/build/generated/res/react/debug for the assets. So the full commands for manually bundling and building the APK with the bundle and assets are:

react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.js --bundle-output ./android/app/build/generated/assets/react/debug/index.android.bundle --assets-dest ./android/app/build/res/react/debug

and then

./gradlew assembleDebug

Bundle and assets path

Note that that paths where gradle looks for the bundle and the assets might be subject to change. To find out where those paths are, look at the react.gradle file in your node_modules/react-native directory. The lines starting with def jsBundleDir = and def resourcesDir = specify the directories where gradle looks for the bundle and the assets respectively.

Generate debug APK without dev-server

If you really want to generate a debug APK (for testing purpose) that can run without the development server, Congrats! here I am to help you. :)
Everyone is saying that we need to run two commands react-native bundle ... and then gradlew assembleDebug but the generated APK still doesnot work without development server. After many research & try I figured out that we need to change in the gradle file (as in step-2). Just follow these steps:

In your react native project go to /android/app/src/main create a folder assets edit android > app > build.gradle

project.ext.react = [
    ...
    bundleInDebug: true, // add this line
]

run this command at the root directory of your react native project

react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res

Now, go into the android folder: cd android And, run this command: gradlew assembleDebug (if build failed, try building assembleDebug from android studio)

This will create app-debug.apk file in android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug directory, which you can install & run without dev-server.

There are two extensions you can use for this. This is added to react-native for setting these:

disableDevInDebug: true: Disables dev server in debug buildType bundleInDebug: true: Adds jsbundle to debug buildType.

So, your final project.ext.react in android/app/build.gradle should look like below

project.ext.react = [
    enableHermes: false,  // clean and rebuild if changing
    devDisabledInDev: true, // Disable dev server in dev release
    bundleInDebug: true, // add bundle to dev apk
]

For Windows user if all steps followed properly from this: https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/signed-apk-android.html

You need to only run: gradlew assembleRelease

And your file will be:

app-release.apk

app-release-unaligned.apk

Location: E:\YourProjectName\android\app\build\outputs\apk

It can be possible to generate an unsigned apk version for testing purpose so you can run on your mobile.

Initially i got the red screen errors as most mentioned here. but i followed the same which was mentioned here and it worked for me.

On your console from working directory, run these four commands

react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.js --bundle-output ./android/app/build/intermediates/assets/debug/index.android.bundle --assets-dest ./android/app/build/intermediates/res/merged/debug

cd android

gradlew assembleDebug

gradlew assembleRelease

And then APK file will produce on : android\app\build\outputs\apk\debug\app-debug.apk

Just in case someone else is recently getting into this same issue, I'm using React Native 0.59.8 (tested with RN 0.60 as well) and I can confirm some of the other answers, here are the steps:

Uninstall the latest compiled version of your app installed you have on your device Run react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res run cd android/ && ./gradlew assembleDebug Get your app-debug.apk in folder android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug

good luck!

quite late for the party but none of the solutions at least on page 1 does not work for me. Thus I looked a bit deeper into the grade tasks registered by react;

just add bundleInDebug : true as shown in @Er Suman G's answer

run ./gradlew assembleDebug or gradle.bat assembleDebug based on your environment in your android folder.

This will generate the debuggable non server required app in android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug

I'm on react native 0.55.4, basically i had to bundle manually:

react-native bundle --dev false --platform android --entry-file index.js --bundle- 
output ./android/app/build/intermediates/assets/debug/index.android.bundle --assets- 
dest ./android/app/build/intermediates/res/merged/debug

Then connect your device via usb, enable usb debugging. Verify the connected device with adb devices.

Lastly run react-native run-android which will install the debug apk on your phone and you can run it fine with the dev server

Note:

From 0.49.0, the entrypoint is a single index.js

gradlew assembleRelease only generates the release-unsigned apks which cannot be installed

I found a solution changing buildTypes like this:

buildTypes {
  release {
    signingConfig signingConfigs.release
  }
}

Add devDisabledInDebug: true to project.ext.react in build.gradle file.

Generate debug APK without dev-server

If you want to generate a debug APK (for testing purposes) that can run without the development server.

In your react native project go to /android/app/src/main create a folder assets edit android > app > build.gradle

universalApk true  // If true, also generate a universal APK

run this command at the root directory of your react native project

npx react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js --bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle --assets-dest android/app/src/main/res

Now, go into the android folder: cd android And, run this command: gradlew assembleDebug (if build failed, try building assembleDebug from android studio)

Just do this things.

and if you want to install app in device just run cmd

adb install 'path/add-debug.apk'

In 2021

Following Aditya Singh's answer, the generated (unsigned) apk would not install on my phone. I had to generate a signed apk using the instructions here.

The following worked for me:

$ keytool -genkey -v -keystore my-release-key.keystore -alias my-key-alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

Place the my-release-key.keystore file under the android/app directory in your project folder. Then edit the file ~/.gradle/gradle.properties and add the following (replace **** with the correct keystore password, alias and key password)

MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_FILE=my-release-key.keystore
MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS=my-key-alias
MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_PASSWORD=****
MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD=****

Then edit app/build.gradle and ensure the following are there (the sections with signingConfigs signingConfig may need to be added) :

...
android {
    ...
    defaultConfig { ... }
    signingConfigs {
        release {
            if (project.hasProperty('MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_FILE')) {
                storeFile file(MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_FILE)
                storePassword MYAPP_RELEASE_STORE_PASSWORD
                keyAlias MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS
                keyPassword MYAPP_RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD
            }
        }
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            ...
            signingConfig signingConfigs.release
        }
    }
}
...

Then run the command cd android && ./gradlew assembleRelease ,

For Windows 'cd android' and then run gradlew assembleRelease command , and find your signed apk under android/app/build/outputs/apk/app-release.apk, or android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk