App package name or APK (Android Application Package) is a unique identifier assigned to every Android app. This package name acts as an application ID which distinguishes it from other apps installed on the device or hosted at the Google Play Store. You can find the app package name of an Android app in the Play Store URL, using a package name viewer app, and via ADB commands. I have discussed these 5 methods in this tutorial.
When developers create an app, they need to provide a package name for their application. This package name serves as the foundation of the app’s identity and is used by the operating system to manage and run the app. It also allows us to identify and differentiate between different apps on our devices.
If you want to sideload or install apps, pull or push APK, or uninstall or freeze apps on Android devices using ADB commands, having app package names is mandatory.
The format of an app package name follows a specific convention which includes the following three elements:
- It usually begins with a top-level domain (usually ‘com’, ‘org’, ‘in’, ‘app’, etc.). However, a domain is not mandatory for app package names.
- The domain is followed by the company or developer’s name.
- The app package name concludes with the app’s name itself.
Now take a look at the app package names of some of the most popular Android apps for a better understanding:
- com.facebook.katana
- org.telegram.messenger
- com.android.chrome
- com.google.maps
Below, we will discuss the various methods to find an Android app’s package name.
Table of Contents
1. Via the App URL in the Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is a one-stop shop for all Android apps. It is also the most convenient and reliable method to find the package name of an app. Follow the steps below to easily locate the package name of any app on your Android device using the Google Play Store:
- Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
- Tap on the search bar, and type the name of the app whose package name you want to find. Type in the exact name of the app or use keywords related to it.
- Click the app in the list of results that appear. This will take you to its official page in the Google Play Store.
- On this page, tap the 3-dot icon at the top right corner of the screen and select the Share option.
- Now, you can share this app’s URL via Share Menu. Alternatively, you can tap the Copy option to save it to the clipboard. The app URL contains the app package name after “id=“.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.gm
If you use a computer, open Google Play Store in your web browser. Search for the app whose app package name you want to know. You’ll find the app package in the app URL itself as shown below.
2. Using a Third-Party App
If you are an app developer who needs app package names too frequently, the Google Play Store method may not suffice. In such a case, using a third-party app is a quick and easy way to find the package name of any app installed on your device.
- Download and install App Inspector, App Manager, or Package Name Viewer from the Play Store.
- When the app is installed, open it from the app drawer.
- The app will show you a list of all apps along with the app package name of each of them.
- Tap the desired app to find its app package name. Select the Copy option to copy the package name of the app.
3. Using ADB via the aShell App
The Google Play Store has several terminal apps that allow you to use ADB commands. Until 2022, terminal apps required root permission to function. However, with the advent of Shizuku, things have become easier. You can now execute ADB commands on your Android phone or tablet without root.
Let’s check out how to find the app package names using a Shizuku-supported app called aShell.
- Set up Shizuku on your Android phone.
- Download and install the aShell terminal app from F-Droid (free) or Google Play Store (paid).
- Make sure Shizuku is running in the background and launch aShell. Select Allow all the time option when prompted to Allow aShell access to Shizuku.
- Type the following command in the aShell Command Box and tap the Enter key on your phone’s keyboard.
pm list packages | grep '<app-name>' Example: pm list packages | grep 'telegram'
- You’ll have the app’s package name on your phone’s screen.
That’s it! You can also use other ADB commands listed in the next section.
4. Via ADB Commands
Another way to find the app package name on your Android device is by using ADB commands. This method involves using your computer and a USB cable to connect to your device.
The ADB method may require a bit more technical knowledge but can be useful if other methods are not working. Before you use ADB commands, set up ADB and fastboot on your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer.
- Launch a PowerShell or Terminal window with the path of the ‘platform-tools’ folder.
- Make sure to increase the display timeout of your phone to 5 or 10 minutes. ADB can’t detect your device if its screen is locked.
- Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable or ADB over Wi-Fi.
- Now execute the
adb devicescommand in Windows PowerShell or the macOS Terminal window. - You’ll see an alphanumeric value representing your device under the list of attached devices.
- On your phone, open the app whose app package name you need to find. Now type the following command and press the Enter key to execute it.
adb shell
- When the ADB Shell is invoked, paste the following command into the command window after the $ sign.
dumpsys window | grep -E 'mCurrentFocus'
- As soon as you hit Enter, ADB will get the app package name of the app that is currently open on your Android phone. In my case, I opened Telegram on my device.
There’s another nifty ADB command to get the app package names by keyword. For example, you can use the following command to find Telegram’s app package name.
adb shell pm list packages | grep 'telegram'
Get the List of App Package Names using ADB
In case you want to find the list of app package names of all Android apps installed on your device, you can use the adb shell pm list packages. There are various filters you can add to this command to get more specific results.
Get Package Names by Group
For instance, you can get the list of all Google apps package names using the ‘grep’ parameter with a keyword (‘google’, for example) filter.
adb shell pm list packages | grep 'google'
You can replace ‘google’ with ‘android’, ‘samsung’, ‘mi, ‘xiaomi’, ‘coloros’, ‘oneplus’, etc. to list all app packages with the provided keyword.
List All System App Packages
The following command will give you the list of all system apps installed on your Android device.
adb shell pm list packages -s
List Package Names of All 3rd-Party Apps
If you want ADB to filter all third-party apps on your phone and list their package names, you can execute the following command.
adb shell pm list packages -3
Get the List of All Apps with Their Package Names
By using -f as a filter, you can get the list of all installed apps along with the associated package names.
There is a lot more you can do with Android Shell commands on your Android device.
5. Using ADB AppControl and UAD GUI
In most cases, we want the package names of apps we want to uninstall or disable on our Android phone. Debloater tools like ADB AppControl and Universal Aandroid Debloater not only show the app package names but also let you uninstall them with a single click.
Download ADB AppControl or Universal Android Debloater on your computer. Connect your Android device with USB debugging enabled to your computer via a USB cable. The tool will show all system and 3rd-party apps installed on your device with their package names. ADB AppControl even allows you to copy app package names. Hover the mouse pointer on an app, right-click on it, and select Copy package name from the context menu.
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