What is the keystore file?

Question

A keystore file contains one or more pairs of a private key and signed certificate for its corresponding public key. The keystore should be strongly protected with a password, and stored (either on the file system or elsewhere) so that it is accessible only to administrators.

What is keystore file used for?

The Android Keystore system lets you store cryptographic keys in a container to make it more difficult to extract from the device. Once keys are in the keystore, they can be used for cryptographic operations with the key material remaining non-exportable.

Do I need the keystore file?

You must keep your keystore in a safe and secure place. If you lose access to your app signing key or your key is compromised, Google cannot retrieve the app signing key for you, and you will not be able to release new versions of your app to users as updates to the original app.

How can I open keystore files?

In order to open an existing KeyStore, click on Menu File > Open > Open KeyStore or use the default keyboard shortcut CTRL+O . A file chooser dialog box will be opened in order to select the desired KeyStore file.

Where is the keystore file?

The default location is /Users//. android/debug. keystore.

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