HelloWeb

Turn a website or an HTML page into a real, debug-signed Android APK, fully on the phone. Open the app, tap New app, walk through the wizard, then Build APK and Install.

Wizard (9 steps)

1. App info: name, package (suggested from the name), version code and name
2. Content source: Web URL, or paste / import an HTML page that is bundled in the app
3. Display: orientation, page theme, fullscreen, keep screen on, JavaScript, zoom
4. Colors: presets, live preview, 7 tunable colors (hex, RGB sliders, palette)
5. Permissions: searchable list, declared in the generated app's manifest
6. App icon: default, picked image, or generated letter (3 shapes)
7. Splash screen: colors, logo (icon / image / none), app name, duration
8. Navigation: toolbar, pull to refresh, back behaviour, exit confirmation, progress bar, external links, bottom tabs (2 to 4)
9. Review: summary with Edit shortcuts, then Build APK

Material 3 look, forest-green palette (light + dark) in res/values*/colors.xml, platform views only (no libraries).

How the build works

No compiler, AAPT2 or library is needed:

1. assets/shell.apk is a ready-made WebView app. Its manifest holds placeholders for package, label, version.
2. AxmlPatcher rewrites the compiled manifest (string pool, versionCode) and adds one uses-permission element per chosen permission.
3. ApkPatcher rebuilds the zip: manifest, icon, assets/wbconfig.json (all wizard choices, schema 2), assets/splash.png and assets/www/index.html when used.
4. DebugKey makes an RSA-2048 debug key once per device; V2Signer adds an APK Signature Scheme v2 block.
5. ApkProvider hands the file to the system installer.

Important: the shell must read the new config

shell.apk bundled in this project is the old shell: it only reads url. With it, name, package, version, icon, URL, HTML (loaded as a bundled page) and permission declarations work; splash, colors, toolbar, tabs, orientation and the other options are written to the config but ignored. The new runtime is in project/shell/. Build it and replace app/src/main/assets/shell.apk (steps in shell/README.md).

Update (v1.0)

• Fullscreen is on by default.
• shell/ has the improved runtime: keyboard fix in fullscreen, fullscreen video, in-app downloads, cookies, wide viewport, pause/resume.
• assets/shell.apk is still the OLD shell. Build HelloWeb-Shell.caproj (or shell/) as a debug APK and replace it.

Notes

• Every app is signed with this device's debug key, so rebuilding the same package updates the earlier install.
• Output folder: Android/data/com.HelloWeb/files/apk/
• Not Play Store ready (debug signature, debuggable).