APKs are packaged Android apps that can run on any Android device. Hermit creates Lite Apps, which are fast, tiny Web Apps with native Android integration.
It is now possible to create APKs that will launch your selected Lite App, which has the following advantages:
App
Hermit:WebActivity
https://some-url.com/
To share your Lite App with others, you can use one of two methods:
Note that the main Hermit app is still required to be installed when you run your APK on a phone that does not have it installed. If you create your APK using the Sample Project, it will automatically ask the user to install Hermit if it is not already installed.
.hermit
filesInstead of sharing the APK itself, you can share Hermit Lite Apps with friends and family from within Hermit.
This shares a Lite App using a custom file with the extension .hermit
. When opened, Hermit will automatically set up the Lite App for your friend.
Google’s Play Store policies are not clear on whether an app is allowed to create/distribute APKs directly. To prevent Hermit from being removed from Google Play, we are not considering adding the ability to generate APKs through the app at this time.
The following are explicitly prohibited:
- Apps that install other apps on a device without the user’s prior consent.