Solving the apksigner error #1 issue in Godot Engine Android export
How to Fix Godot Apksigner Error 1
If you are developing Android apps with Godot Engine, you might encounter a frustrating error message when trying to export your project to an APK file:
godot apksigner error 1
'apksigner' returned with error #1
This error means that Godot failed to sign your APK with a valid digital signature, which is required for installing and distributing Android apps. Without a proper signature, your APK will not be accepted by Google Play Store or any other app store. Moreover, your APK will not be verified by Android devices and may cause security warnings or installation failures.
So how can you fix this error and successfully export your Godot project to an APK file? In this article, we will explain what causes this error and how to solve it in different scenarios. We will also give you some tips on how to avoid this error in the future.
What is Godot Apksigner Error 1?
Godot Apksigner Error 1 is an error that occurs when Godot tries to sign your APK using the apksigner tool, which is part of the Android SDK Build Tools. The apksigner tool allows you to sign APKs and to confirm that an APK's signature will be verified successfully on all versions of the Android platform supported by those APKs.
Signing an APK involves providing a private key and a certificate that identify you as the developer of the app. You can either use a debug keystore that is generated by Godot for testing purposes, or a release keystore that you create yourself for publishing purposes. You can specify which keystore to use in the Export settings of Godot.
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When you sign an APK using the apksigner tool, you must also provide some additional information, such as the minimum SDK version that your app supports, the name of the signer (alias), and the password for the keystore. These information are also configured in the Export settings of Godot.
an error code and a message. The error code 1 means that there was a general error in the signing process, and the message usually gives more details about the cause of the error. For example, you might see messages like these:
Failed to load signer "signer #1"
No key store file specified
Failed to parse APK
Failed to sign APK
Depending on the cause of the error, you might need to change some settings in Godot or in your Android SDK to fix it.
What Causes Godot Apksigner Error 1?
There are several possible causes for Godot Apksigner Error 1, and each one requires a different solution. Here are some of the most common causes and how to identify them:
Incorrect JDK Version
The JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software package that contains the tools and libraries needed for developing Java applications. Godot uses the JDK to compile your project into an APK file and to sign it with the apksigner tool. However, not all versions of the JDK are compatible with Godot and the apksigner tool.
If you are using an older version of the JDK (such as JDK 8 or lower), you might encounter an error message like this:
apksigner: unrecognized option '--min-sdk-version'
This means that your JDK does not support some of the options that Godot passes to the apksigner tool, such as the minimum SDK version that your app supports. This option is required for signing APKs that target Android 7.0 (API level 24) or higher, which is the default for Godot projects.
Invalid Keystore or Certificate
The keystore and certificate are files that contain your private key and public key, respectively. They are used to sign your APK and to verify your identity as the developer of the app. You can either use a debug keystore that is generated by Godot for testing purposes, or a release keystore that you create yourself for publishing purposes.
If your keystore or certificate is invalid, corrupted, expired, or mismatched, you might encounter an error message like this:
Failed to load signer "signer #1"
This means that Godot could not load your keystore or certificate file, or that they did not match the alias and password that you provided in the Export settings. This could happen if you changed your keystore or certificate file, or if you entered the wrong information in Godot.
Unsupported SDK Version
The SDK (Software Development Kit) is a software package that contains the tools and libraries needed for developing Android applications. Godot uses the SDK to compile your project into an APK file and to sign it with the apksigner tool. However, not all versions of the SDK are compatible with Godot and the apksigner tool.
If you are using an older version of the SDK (such as SDK 25 or lower), you might encounter an error message like this:
Failed to parse APK
This means that your SDK does not support some of the features that Godot uses in your project, such as V2 signature scheme or AAB format. These features are required for signing APKs that target Android 7.0 (API level 24) or higher, which is the default for Godot projects.
Non-ASCII Characters in Path
The path is the location of your files on your computer. For example, the path of your project folder might be something like this:
C:\Users\John\Documents\Godot\MyProject
If your path contains any non-ASCII characters, such as accented letters, symbols, or spaces, you might encounter an error message like this:
Failed to sign APK
How to Solve Godot Apksigner Error 1?
Now that you know what causes Godot Apksigner Error 1, you can try some of the following solutions to fix it:
Check Your JDK Version
If you are using an older version of the JDK (such as JDK 8 or lower), you need to update it to a newer version (such as JDK 11 or higher) that supports the options that Godot passes to the apksigner tool. You can download the latest version of the JDK from .
After installing the new JDK, you need to tell Godot where to find it. You can do this by going to Editor > Editor Settings > Export > Android and setting the JDK Path to the location of your new JDK folder. For example, it might be something like this:
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11.0.12
Alternatively, you can set the JAVA_HOME environment variable on your computer to point to your new JDK folder.
Verify Your Keystore and Certificate
If your keystore or certificate is invalid, corrupted, expired, or mismatched, you need to either fix them or create new ones. You can use the keytool command-line tool that comes with the JDK to manage your keystores and certificates. For example, you can use these commands to list, generate, and export your keystores and certificates:
keytool -list -v -keystore mykeystore.jks
keytool -genkeypair -alias myalias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 -keystore mykeystore.jks
keytool -exportcert -alias myalias -file mycertificate.crt -keystore mykeystore.jks
For more information on how to use the keytool tool, you can refer to .
After creating or fixing your keystore and certificate, you need to tell Godot where to find them and what information to use for signing your APK. You can do this by going to Project > Export > Android and setting the following options:
Keystore: The path to your keystore file (e.g., C:\Users\John\Documents\Godot\mykeystore.jks)
Password: The password for your keystore file (e.g., mypassword)
User: The nam