How to edit an Android app?

Question

I need to edit an Android app just to change some text that was written incorrectly. I have the .apk files, so how would I modify them?

Answer 1

Generally speaking, a software product isn't your "property already", as you said in the comment. Most of the times (I won't be irresponsible to say anything in open), it's licensed to you. A license to use some thing is not the same thing as owning (property rights) that very same thing.

That's because there are authorship, copyright, intellectual property rights applicable to it. I don't know how things work in United States (or in your country), but it's generally accepted that the work of a mind, a creative work, must not be changed in its nature as such to make the expression of art to be different than that expression that the author intended. That applies for example, in some cases, to architectural work (in most countries, you can't change the appearance of a building to "desfigure" the work of art of the architect, without his prior consent). Exceptions are made, obviously, when the author expressly authorizes such changes (e.g., Creative Commons licenses, open source licenses etc.).

Anyway, that's why you see in most EULAs the typical sentence: "this software is licensed, not sold". That's the purpose and reason why.

Now that you understand the reasons why you can't wander around changing other people's art, let me be technical.

There are possible ways to decompile Java programs. You can use dex2jar, it provides a somewhat good start for you to start looking for things and changes. And perhaps rebuild the code by mounting back the pieces together. Good luck, as most people obfuscate their codes to make that harder.

However, let me say that it's still forbidden to change programs, as I said above. And it's extremely unethical. It makes me sad that people do that with no scruples (not saying it's your case, just warning you). It shouldn't need people to be at the other side to understand that. Or maybe that's just me, who lives in a country where piracy is rampant.

The tools are always out there. But the conscience, unfortunately, not always.

edit: in case it isn't clear enough already, I do NOT approve the use of these programs. I use them myself to check how hard my own applications are to be reverse engineered. But I also think that explaning is always better than denial (better be here).