# Why did my Flutter APK get bigger after adding Rive?

> Rive's Flutter runtime ships native libraries for its renderer and text engine, and a universal APK includes them for every CPU architecture. Ship an Android App Bundle (or build with --split-per-abi) so each device downloads only its own libraries, then measure the real download size in Play Console.

Updated November 2026. Source: https://www.exodeui.com/questions/rive-flutter-apk-size/

## Key takeaways

- The runtime includes native .so files per CPU architecture
- A universal APK contains all of them, which inflates its size
- App Bundles deliver only the libraries a device needs
- flutter build apk --split-per-abi for direct APK distribution
- Measure download size in Play Console, not the local APK size

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Rive increase iOS app size too?

Yes, it adds native code on iOS as well. App Store thinning already delivers per-device binaries.

### Can I remove the text engine?

Check the rive-flutter docs and issues for your version. Do not strip libraries by hand without testing.

### Is the APK size the download size?

No. With App Bundles, the download per device is smaller than the bundle file.

### Are .riv files large?

Rive files are usually small. Most of the size increase comes from the runtime, not your animations.

## Related

- [Rive Flutter 16 KB page size fix](https://www.exodeui.com/questions/rive-flutter-16kb-page-size-error)
- [Lottie alternative for Flutter](https://www.exodeui.com/questions/lottie-alternative-for-flutter)
- [Best Flutter animation packages](https://www.exodeui.com/best-flutter-animation-packages)
- [Designing animations for low-end Android phones](https://www.exodeui.com/questions/ui-animation-for-low-end-android-phones-india)