I spent HOURS hacking away at my keystore password…It didn’t work

You can find a video at the bottom of the page and a link to the source code here.

I figured out which keystore file I used to sign my first APK. When I couldn’t remember the password, I attempted to hack it using a command line tool called keytool.

Keytool is used for configuring different settings on keystore files. I figured I could use the commands to change the keystore password, generate the APK, and update the release on the Google Play Store.

It turns out keystore files are secured against this very action. They cannot be updated without the most previous password. Once you lose it, the keystore is as good as gone. Nothing in keytool will allow users to update a keystore without the original password.

I thought I could trick the Google Play Console and find a shortcut around my forgotten password. Looks like I’ll have to do things the old fashioned way.

I will delete my app from the Google Play Store and reupload it with a new APK bundle signed with a brand new keystore file. And THIS time, I’m keeping the password in a safe place.

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Coding Fanatic