An update to @malcubierre for Cordova 4 (and later)-

Create a file called release-signing.properties and put in APPFOLDER\platforms\android folder

Contents of the file: edit after = for all except 2nd line

storeFile=C:/yourlocation/app.keystore storeType=jks keyAlias=aliasname keyPassword=aliaspass storePassword=password 

Then this command should build a release version:

cordova build android --release 

UPDATE - This was not working for me Cordova 10 with android 9 - The build was replacing the release-signing.properties file. I had to make a build.json file and drop it in the appfolder, same as root. And this is the contents - replace as above:

{ "android": { "release": { "keystore": "C:/yourlocation/app.keystore", "storePassword": "password", "alias": "aliasname", "password" : "aliaspass", "keystoreType": "" } } } 

Run it and it will generate one of those release-signing.properties in the android folder

In the current documentation we can specify a build.json with the keystore:

{ "android": { "debug": { "keystore": "..\android.keystore", "storePassword": "android", "alias": "mykey1", "password" : "password", "keystoreType": "" }, "release": { "keystore": "..\android.keystore", "storePassword": "", "alias": "mykey2", "password" : "password", "keystoreType": "" } } } 

And then, execute the commando with --buildConfig argumente, this way:

cordova run android --buildConfig 

Step1:

Go to cordova\platforms\android ant create a fille called ant.properties file with the keystore file info (this keystore can be generated from your favorite Android SDK, studio...):

key.store=C:\\yourpath\\Yourkeystore.keystore key.alias=youralias 

Step2:

Go to cordova path and execute:

cordova build android --release 

Note: You will be prompted asking your keystore and key password

An YourApp-release.apk will appear in \cordova\platforms\android\ant-build

In cordova 6.2.0, it has an easy way to create release build. refer to other steps here Steps 1, 2 and 4

cd cordova/ #change to root cordova folder platforms/android/cordova/clean #clean if you want cordova build android --release -- --keystore="/path/to/keystore" --storePassword=password --alias=alias_name #password will be prompted if you have any 

On Mac (osx), I generated two .sh files, one for the first publication and another one for updating :

#!/bin/sh echo "Ionic to Signed APK ---- [email protected] // Benjamin Rathelot\n" printf "Project dir : " read DIR printf "Project key alias : " read ALIAS cd $DIR/ cordova build --release android cd platforms/android/build/outputs/apk/ keytool -genkey -v -keystore my-release-key.keystore -alias $ALIAS -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore my-release-key.keystore android-release-unsigned.apk $ALIAS zipalign -v 4 android-release-unsigned.apk signedApk.apk 

And to update your app:

#!/bin/sh echo "Ionic to Signed APK ---- [email protected] // Benjamin Rathelot\n" printf "Project dir : " read DIR printf "Project key alias : " read ALIAS cd $DIR/ cordova build --release android cd platforms/android/build/outputs/apk/ rm signedApk.apk jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore my-release-key.keystore android-release-unsigned.apk $ALIAS zipalign -v 4 android-release-unsigned.apk signedApk.apk 

Assuming you're in your home folder or a folder topping your apps folders. Make sure to set correctly chmod to use this script. Then :

./ionicToApk.sh # or whatever depending of the name of your file, in CLI 

Your signed apk will be in Your App folder/platforms/android/build/outputs/apk/ as SignedApk.apk Make sure to use the correct key alias and password defined with the first script

##Generated signed apk from commandline #variables APP_NAME=THE_APP_NAME APK_LOCATION=./ APP_HOME=/path/to/THE_APP APP_KEY=/path/to/Android_key APP_KEY_ALIAS=the_alias APP_KEY_PASSWORD=123456789 zipalign=$ANDROID_HOME/build-tools/28.0.3/zipalign #the logic cd $APP_HOME cordova build --release android cd platforms/android/app/build/outputs/apk/release jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore $APP_KEY ./app-release-unsigned.apk $APP_KEY_ALIAS <<< $APP_KEY_PASSWORD rm -rf "$APK_LOCATION/$APP_NAME.apk" $zipalign -v 4 ./app-release-unsigned.apk "$APK_LOCATION/$APP_NAME.apk" open $APK_LOCATION #the end 

First Check your version code and version name if you are updating your app. And make sure you have a previous keystore.

If you are updating app then follow step 1,3,4.

Step 1:

Goto your cordova project for generate our release build:

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example> cordova build --release android 

Then, we can find our unsigned APK file in platforms/android/ant-build. In our example, the file was

if u used ant-build

yourproject/platforms/android/ant-build/Example-release-unsigned.apk 

OR

if u used gradle-build

yourProject/platforms/android/build/outputs/apk/Example-release-unsigned.apk 

Step 2:

Key Generation:

Syntax:

keytool -genkey -v -keystore <keystoreName>.keystore -alias <Keystore AliasName> -keyalg <Key algorithm> -keysize <Key size> -validity <Key Validity in Days> 

if keytool command not recognize do this step

Check that the directory the keytool executable is in is on your path. (For example, on my Windows 7 machine, it's in C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin.)

Example:

keytool -genkey -v -keystore NAME-mobileapps.keystore -alias NAMEmobileapps -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 keystore password? : xxxxxxx What is your first and last name? : xxxxxx What is the name of your organizational unit? : xxxxxxxx What is the name of your organization? : xxxxxxxxx What is the name of your City or Locality? : xxxxxxx What is the name of your State or Province? : xxxxx What is the two-letter country code for this unit? : xxx 

Then the Key store has been generated with name as NAME-mobileapps.keystore

Step 3:

Place the generated keystore in D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build

To sign the unsigned APK, run the jarsigner tool which is also included in the JDK:

Syntax:

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore <keystorename <Unsigned APK file> <Keystore Alias name> 

If it doesn't reconize do these steps

(1) Right click on "This PC" > right-click Properties > Advanced system settings > Environment Variables > select PATH then EDIT.

(2) Add your jdk bin folder path to environment variables, it should look like this:

"C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_40\bin".

Example:

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build> jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore NAME-mobileapps.keystore Example-release-unsigned.apk xxxxxmobileapps Enter KeyPhrase as 'xxxxxxxx' 

This signs the apk in place.

Step 4:

Finally, we need to run the zip align tool to optimize the APK:

if zipalign not recognize then

(1) goto your android sdk path and find zipalign it is usually in android-sdk\build-tools\23.0.3

(2) Copy zipalign file paste into your generate release apk folder usually in below path

yourproject/platforms/android/ant-build/Example-release-unsigned.apk

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build> zipalign -v 4 Example-release-unsigned.apk Example.apk 

OR

D:\projects\Phonegap\Example\platforms\android\ant-build> C:\Phonegap\adt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20140624\sdk\build-tools\android-4.4W\zipalign -v 4 Example-release-unsigned.apk Example.apk 

Now we have our final release binary called example.apk and we can release this on the Google Play Store.

Build cordova release APK file in cmd.

KEY STORE FILE PATH: keystore file path (F:/cordova/myApp/xxxxx.jks)

KEY STORE PASSWORD: xxxxx

KEY STORE ALIAS: xxxxx

KEY STORE ALIAS PASSWORD: xxxxx

PATH OF zipalign.exe: zipalign.exe file path (C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\build-tools\25.0.2\zipalign)

ANDROID UNSIGNED APK NAME: android-release-unsigned.apk

ANDROID RELEASE APK NAME: android-release.apk

Run below steps in cmd (run as administrator)

1. cordova build --release android
2. go to android-release-unsigned.apk file location (PROJECT\platforms\android\build\outputs\apk)
3. jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA1withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore <KEY STORE FILE PATH> <ANDROID UNSIGNED APK NAME> <KEY STORE ALIAS>
4. <PATH OF zipalign.exe> -v 4 <ANDROID UNSIGNED APK NAME> <ANDROID RELEASE APK NAME>

Great news! cordova 10 include the new android version with app-release.aab.

At first, create a keystore: keytool -genkeypair -keystore my.keystore -alias alias_name -keyalg RSA -keysize 3072 -validity 10000 -v

According to the documentation --packageType define the file extension apk/bundle. -- to indicate that these are platform-specific arguments Inside the project folder run:

cordova build android --release -- --keystore=../../../key.keystore --storePassword="1234567890" --alias=alias_name --packageType=apk --password="1234567890" 

A log will appear with the apsolute file's path. example: /path/project/platforms/android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

Sign the APK:

jarsigner -verbose -sigalg SHA256withRSA -digestalg SHA-256 -keystore key.keystore project.apk alias_name 

Verify signature: jarsigner -verify -verbose -certs project.apk

Use zipalign

zipalign -v 4 project.apk project.sign.apk 

In case the error "Failed to extract native libraries, res=-2" when installing:

zipalign -p 4 project.apk project.sign.apk 

Final step is to delete the history because leaving clear text passwords in your history is a security issue.

For Windows, I've created a build.cmd file:

(replace the keystore path and alias)

For Cordova:

@echo off set /P spassw="Store Password: " && set /P kpassw="Key Password: " && cordova build android --release -- --keystore=../../local/my.keystore --storePassword=%spassw% --alias=tmpalias --password=%kpassw% 

And for Ionic:

@echo off set /P spassw="Store Password: " && set /P kpassw="Key Password: " && ionic build --prod && cordova build android --release -- --keystore=../../local/my.keystore --storePassword=%spassw% --alias=tmpalias --password=%kpassw% 

Save it in the ptoject's directory, you can double click or open it with cmd.