Developing system apps without AOSP
summary
Claim: system apps can be developed without full AOSP by reusing AOSP test keys and userdebug images and by calling protected APIs directly. Practical steps include convert AOSP test keys with openssl and keytool, use userdebug emulator or GSI on Pixel via simg2img and adb root/remount to sign and install APKs into /system, and choose between reflection, fake interfaces or a custom engineering SDK (dex tools) to call hidden APIs. Notes: AOSP builds take ~2–2.5 hours on a beefy Linux machine and Android 13 adds a working virtual device API for virtual input and displays.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Introduction and challenges
- 2:05Custom Android landscapes
- 5:15Defining system apps
- 7:30Development setup
- 10:15Emulators and testing
- 14:56Writing system applications
- 19:15Calling system APIs
- 24:52Navigating AOSP code
- 31:04Conclusion and permissions
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