tinker

Tinker is an Android hot-fix solution designed to deliver fixes after an app has been installed. It supports updates for dex files, native libraries, and application resources without requiring users to reinstall the APK. The documented setup uses the Tinker Gradle patch plugin together with the core Android library. Apps integrate Tinker by using a TinkerApplication subclass and moving custom Application logic into a DefaultApplicationLike class. The optional tinker-android-anno module can generate the Application class from a @DefaultLifeCycle annotation. Tinker also automates relevant ProGuard configuration and can generate multidex keep rules. Patch creation can be performed through Gradle or tinker-cli. The README includes Ark support notes for building and packaging dexdiff-based patches, although some Ark compilation steps are marked as TODO or handled externally by the Ark compiler team. Documented limitations include inability to update AndroidManifest.xml, such as adding new Android components; lack of support for some Samsung devices running Android 21; and restrictions on dynamic APK updates under the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement. The project is BSD licensed and provides a sample app, wiki, FAQ, and source code for additional configuration details.