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.

Possible duplicate of [How remove application from app listings on Android Developer Console](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11074972/how-remove-application-from-app-listings-on-android-developer-console) — Da2da2, Nov 13 '17 at 22:38
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/272165/are-developer-centric-questions-about-application-stores-on-topic — Zoe, Feb 06 '18 at 15:16
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because SO doesn't do questions about app store administration (https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/272165/are-developer-centric-questions-about-application-stores-on-topic) — James Moore, Jan 07 '19 at 17:32

score 217 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 17 '22 at 23:42

217

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

Open Google Play Console
Go to your project
Go to the "Release" section of the side-bar
Go to the "App bundle explorer"
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.

edited Nov 17 '22 at 23:42

Junaid Pathan

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answered Nov 09 '17 at 16:52

Sergey

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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! – Tim Tisdall Mar 27 '18 at 19:06
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-> Find apk and remove it. Remove apk option is not available now – Gopinath S May 23 '18 at 07:49
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You forgot a step, it needs to be removed from App Releases before it can be removed from the Artifact Library. – Nitzan Wilnai Jul 01 '18 at 14:34
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Not able to see the option to delete the APK..only download is available. – andro-girl Mar 27 '19 at 06:05
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delete option is only available if it's not rolled out to production – Arjun Mar 28 '19 at 05:18
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I think there was a redesign - the tab is now titled "App bundle explorer" – dchang Jan 03 '21 at 04:42
@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" – Gustavo Rodríguez Jan 04 '21 at 18:14
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no option available to delete a bundle that is in the test track. how do i resolve this? – Mr.Rao Feb 24 '21 at 04:49
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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. – chichilatte Apr 01 '22 at 07:27
The delete button was invisible for me because I had the Dark Reader extension on – Michael Yaworski Aug 31 '22 at 18:48
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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. – Arthur Khazbs Oct 05 '22 at 17:01
"detach the specific APK/Bundle from any draft releases" how to do so? – coder Feb 21 '23 at 11:52

Viktor Jovanovski · Answer 2 · 2020-11-23T14:52:07.657

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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.

edited Nov 23 '20 at 14:52

answered Sep 29 '20 at 08:38

Viktor Jovanovski

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Where is the delete button from the Choose an artifact – Emmanuel Njorodongo Nov 03 '20 at 08:14
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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. – Viktor Jovanovski Nov 04 '20 at 18:31
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no Delete Android App Bundle button is there. Wrong information. – Raman Joshi Nov 08 '20 at 14:20
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@raman-joshi see my previous comment about why delete button is not there – Viktor Jovanovski Nov 09 '20 at 09:24
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@ViktorJovanovski I have already read all your comments. – Raman Joshi Nov 09 '20 at 09:52
@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? – Ugur Nov 22 '20 at 14:01
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@Uğur, thanks for noticing that. Screenshot updated. – Viktor Jovanovski Nov 23 '20 at 14:52
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You're the real MVP for these screenshots. Well done. – Joshua Pinter Jan 26 '21 at 22:56
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) – tann36 Jul 02 '21 at 07:47
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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. – James Perih Dec 08 '21 at 22:22
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 – beginner Jun 14 '22 at 10:48

score 40 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 22 '22 at 13:16

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Yes you can remove the app

Before Release

Open your app
Side nav find artifact library
You can delete your APK here

After Release

Open app
Under Release Management your can find artifact library
You can delete your APK here

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

edited Feb 22 '22 at 13:16

Ahmed Ashour

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answered Aug 29 '18 at 06:11

Naveen M

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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. – Muhammad Tanweer Oct 12 '18 at 19:47

score 16 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 26 '17 at 15:12

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

answered Sep 26 '17 at 15:12

Muhammad Warraich

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Not the right answer APK can be deleted from Artifact library – Rajesh Narwal Mar 09 '18 at 12:55
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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. – Muhammad Warraich Mar 09 '18 at 13:26
See @Sergey answer – tyleax Sep 29 '19 at 07:29

John Xenakis · Answer 5 · 2021-07-17T00:19:27.317

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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.

edited Jul 17 '21 at 00:19

answered Jun 14 '21 at 18:11

John Xenakis

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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 ? – Sanjith Jun 24 '21 at 18:42
@Sanjith Sorry, I don't know, I didn't get to that point, but [maybe this stack overflow post might help.](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/48191631/google-play-console-how-remove-an-update-of-published-application) – John Xenakis Jun 28 '21 at 13:31
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? – mr_mmmmore Jul 15 '21 at 07:56
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... – John Xenakis Jul 17 '21 at 00:06
This is the right answer as of Feb 2022. – Mahesh Jamdade Feb 05 '22 at 19:29
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@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. – John Xenakis Feb 07 '22 at 13:53

score 9 · Answer 6 · answered Jun 30 '22 at 21:54

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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!

answered Jun 30 '22 at 21:54

Jorgesys

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I don't have that button :/ – Fikret Nov 18 '22 at 09:44
@Fikret That`s because your app was already published :( – Jorgesys Nov 19 '22 at 02:13
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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 – Hérick Raposo Dec 23 '22 at 13:46

score -3 · Answer 7 · answered Nov 02 '20 at 11:16

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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

answered Nov 02 '20 at 11:16

Suman Bakhati

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score -5 · Answer 8 · answered May 12 '19 at 07:15

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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

answered May 12 '19 at 07:15

Greg Trevellick

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Where is remove button? – CoolMind Oct 11 '19 at 12:21

Remove APK from library in Google Play Developer Console

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