android_backup
Unpack and repack android backups
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is dormant (last release 2018, no updates for years), marked as alpha, and has high install friction due to source-only distribution. The optional pycrypto dependency is itself unmaintained and may fail on modern systems. If you need to work with Android backups, verify first that this tool works with your target Android version and Python environment, or consider whether a more actively maintained alternative exists.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- For encrypted backups, pycrypto must be installed separately (pip install pycrypto); pycrypto itself is unmaintained and may have compatibility issues on modern systems.
- High install friction: the package ships as source only (no wheels), and the latest release is from 2018.
- Maintenance is dormant—the repo has not been updated since 2024-12-28 and the package itself has not been released in years, though the repository remains active.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), so you may use, modify, and distribute it freely, including in commercial projects, provided you retain the license notice.
last release 2018-06-06 (2991 days) · last repo commit 2024-12-28 · 26 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 149,087 downloads/mo, #11,003 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install android_backup
from android_backup import AndroidBackup
with AndroidBackup('foo.ab') as ab:
ab.list()
ab.unpack()- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions (classifiers list both Python 2 and 3, but no specific version bounds are declared).
- Whether pycrypto is still the correct optional dependency for encrypted backups, or if a maintained alternative is now required.
- Current compatibility with Android backup formats from recent Android versions.
What it is and what it does
android-backup is a command-line and programmatic tool for working with Android backup files (.ab format). It lets you unpack backups into a directory structure and repack them back into .ab format, with optional support for encrypted archives when pycrypto is available.
The package provides both a CLI interface (android-backup-unpack, android-backup-pack) and a Python API for integration into scripts. It has no runtime dependencies beyond the optional pycrypto for encryption support. However, the package is in alpha status and has not been actively maintained since 2018, so compatibility with current Android versions and modern Python environments is uncertain.
Use it for
- Extract the contents of an Android backup file to inspect or modify individual app data and settings.
- Repack a modified Android backup directory back into .ab format for restoration to a device.
- Automate backup processing workflows that need to parse or transform Android backup archives.
- Decrypt and inspect encrypted Android backups when pycrypto is available.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is dormant (last release 2018, no updates for years), marked as alpha, and has high install friction due to source-only distribution. The optional pycrypto dependency is itself unmaintained and may fail on modern systems. If you need to work with Android backups, verify first that this tool works with your target Android version and Python environment, or consider whether a more actively maintained alternative exists.
Install
android-backup on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction: the package ships as source only (no wheels), and the latest release is from 2018. Maintenance is dormant—the repo has not been updated since 2024-12-28 and the package itself has not been released in years, though the repository remains active.
For encrypted backups, pycrypto must be installed separately (pip install pycrypto); pycrypto itself is unmaintained and may have compatibility issues on modern systems.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), so you may use, modify, and distribute it freely, including in commercial projects, provided you retain the license notice.
Quickstart
pip install android_backup
from android_backup import AndroidBackup
with AndroidBackup('foo.ab') as ab:
ab.list()
ab.unpack()Verify before relying
- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions (classifiers list both Python 2 and 3, but no specific version bounds are declared).
- Whether pycrypto is still the correct optional dependency for encrypted backups, or if a maintained alternative is now required.
- Current compatibility with Android backup formats from recent Android versions.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 2,991 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 149,087 / month, #11,003 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 3 - AlphaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 3 |
Evidence: android_backup-0.2.0.tar.gz
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