In Android, the name of an app plays a crucial role in its success. It represents the app’s identity and helps users easily identify and find it among the numerous apps available on the Play Store.
However, there may be instances where you need to change the app name. Whether it’s rebranding your app or simply updating it with a more catchy name, Android provides a straightforward way to change the app name.
Changing App Name in the Manifest
The AndroidManifest.xml file is a vital component of every Android app. It contains essential information about the app, including its package name, activities, permissions, and more. To change your app’s name, you’ll need to modify this file.
Open your project in Android Studio and navigate to the app > manifests directory. Locate the AndroidManifest.xml file and open it in an editor.
In this file, search for the <application> tag. Inside this tag, you’ll find an attribute called android:label. This attribute specifies your app’s current name displayed on the user’s device.
To change your app’s name, update the value of this attribute with your desired new name. You can enclose it within double quotes for clarity:
<application
android:name=".MyApplication"
android:label="Your New App Name"
..>
.
</application>
Note: If you have multiple activities within your application that specify their own labels using the android:label attribute, changing only this attribute in the <application> tag won’t affect those activity labels.
Changing App Name in the Strings Resource file
Another approach to changing your app’s name is by utilizing string resources. Using string resources allows you to easily manage and localize your app’s strings in different languages.
In Android Studio, navigate to the app > res > values directory and open the strings.xml file.
Inside this file, you’ll find a set of key-value pairs, where the keys are names for your strings and the values are their corresponding values. The app name is typically stored under the key “app_name”:
<resources>
.
<string name="app_name">Your App Name</string>
.
</resources>
To change your app’s name, simply modify the value associated with the “app_name” key:
<resources>
.
<string name="app_name">Your New App Name</string>
.
</resources>
Note: Using string resources not only facilitates changing the app name but also allows for easier localization of your app.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we’ve explored two methods to change the app name in an Android application. By modifying either the android:label attribute in the <application> tag of the AndroidManifest.xml file or by updating the value associated with the “app_name” key in the strings resource file, you can easily change your app’s name.
The ability to change an app’s name provides flexibility for rebranding, updating, or localizing your application, thereby enhancing its visibility and appeal to users. Remember to consider the implications of changing your app’s name, such as potential impact on existing users and app store optimization strategies.