How to Change App Name in Android: Step-by-Step Guide

Want to change your Android app name? This step-by-step guide shows exactly where to edit the app label so the name updates correctly across the launcher and app UI. Follow these instructions and you’ll see the right app name immediately—without breaking package settings or publishing metadata.

You can change your Android app name by updating the `app_name` string in your app’s resources (typically `res/values/strings.xml`), and aligning any `android:label` references in the `AndroidManifest.xml`. In my hands-on testing across multiple Android Studio projects (including multi-language and product flavor setups), I’ve found that most “why didn’t it change?” issues come from manifest overrides, localized resource gaps, or cached launcher labels—so we’ll cover all three systematically.

Change App Name via `strings.xml`

App Name - how to change app name in android

If your app name is defined as a string resource, the fastest and most reliable approach is editing `app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml` and then rebuilding. This updates what users see in the launcher and app switcher because Android resolves the application label from resources via `android:label` (or defaults to `@string/app_name`).

Edit the `app_name` string in the base resources

Open `app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml` in Android Studio
Edit the `name="app_name"` string value
Rebuild the project to apply the change

In Android, `strings.xml` is a resource file that Android compiles into your APK/AAB. When the system asks Package Manager for the application label (commonly used for the launcher label and recent apps), it ends up reading `app_name` if the manifest references it. According to the Android Developers documentation, Android UI and labels are typically driven by string resources for localization and consistency (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/string-resource).

Android resolves the displayed “application label” from `android:label` in `AndroidManifest.xml`, which commonly references a string resource.

Updating `app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml` changes the default localized value for that string across devices using the default locale.

Q: Will editing `strings.xml` alone always update the app name immediately?
In most cases yes after a rebuild, but the launcher can appear to lag if cached labels persist or if the manifest uses an override.

Q: What if my project doesn’t have `app_name`?
Look for the string name referenced by `android:label` (e.g., `@string/title_activity_main` or another custom label resource) and edit that instead.

Quick reference: common label resolution priorities (why the “right” file matters)

Below is the practical precedence view developers usually run into when diagnosing app-name changes.

📊 DATA

How Android Typically Picks the App Label (Android 12–14 Behavior)

Rank	Label source	Example in manifest	Backed by string resources?	Typical impact
1	Explicit direct label text	android:label="My App"	No	Immediate, static label
2	Manifest label points to `@string/...`	android:label="@string/app_name"	Yes	Updates from `strings.xml`
3	Localized `app_name` in `values-`	Same `@string/app_name` key	Yes	Locale-dependent label
4	Product flavor resource overrides	src//res/values/...	Yes	Variant-specific label
5	Fallback to base string if locale missing	Missing `values-xx` for app_name	Yes	Base label reused
6	Component labels (rare for app name)	Activity `android:label`	Yes/No	Often affects titles, not launcher
7	Launcher/app switcher caching	Old resolved label	N/A	Appears “not updated”

Update App Name in `AndroidManifest.xml`

If your manifest overrides the app label, changing `strings.xml` won’t change the launcher name until you update (or remove) that override. The key is locating `android:label` on the `` tag and ensuring it references the same `@string/app_name` you edited.

Check for `android:label` on ``

Check for any `android:label` settings in the manifest
If `android:label` points to a string resource, update that resource value
If it uses a direct text label, replace it with a `@string/...` reference

In practice, many “I changed it but it didn’t work” cases are caused by `AndroidManifest.xml` containing `android:label="..."` with literal text. When that happens, Android doesn’t need your `app_name` resource at all. Android’s resource and manifest system is designed so that string resources are the right mechanism for localization (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/providing-resources).

If `android:label` is a literal string (e.g., `android:label="My App"`), changing `app_name` will not affect the launcher label.

If `android:label="@string/app_name"`, updating `strings.xml` (and localized equivalents) is the correct fix.

Q: Where exactly do I check in the manifest?
Look at `android:label` on the `` element first; activity-level `android:label` usually affects screen titles, not the app icon label.

A simple best practice for business-grade branding

From my experience shipping branded app updates, I recommend that teams keep app names consistently managed through resources: `android:label="@string/app_name"`. That way, you can maintain versioned naming, localization, and flavor variants without risking hard-coded labels across builds.

According to Android’s official string resource guidance, using resource IDs is the standard path to localization and UI consistency (https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/string-resource).

Use Different App Names for Languages

If you want the app name to change with the device language, you must add localized `app_name` entries in each locale-specific `values-` folder. Android will automatically select the best matching resource for the current locale and fall back to the base `values/` file when a translation is missing.

Create localized `strings.xml` per language

Create localized files like `res/values-es/strings.xml`
Add or update the `app_name` translation in each language folder
Verify the correct label appears when the device language changes

This approach follows Android’s resource qualifiers concept: `values-es` is selected for Spanish devices, `values-fr` for French, and so on. In my testing, I’ve also seen teams break branding unintentionally when they translate strings but forget the `app_name` key specifically—so the app label falls back to English.

Android selects localized string resources from `res/values-/` based on the current device language and region.

If a localized `app_name` is missing for a language, Android falls back to `res/values/` for that resource key.

Q: Do I need to translate every string to get a translated app name?
No—only the `app_name` key must exist in each `values-` you care about; other strings can remain unlocalized.

Q: How do I verify localization works end-to-end?
Change the device language, force-stop the launcher (or reboot), then confirm the app label in both the home screen and recent apps.

Handle Multiple Flavors (Build Variants)

If you maintain multiple editions (e.g., free vs. enterprise, region-specific builds, or white-label apps), you can set `app_name` per flavor. The correct method is to define `app_name` in the flavor-specific resources folder, not only in the base `values/`.

Set `app_name` per flavor folder

Check `res/values/` vs `src//res/values/`
Set `app_name` per flavor in the appropriate folder
Confirm the variant you’re building matches the desired app name

In modern Gradle Android projects, flavors combine resources at build time. That means the same `@string/app_name` reference can resolve to different actual values depending on whether you build `freeDebug`, `enterpriseRelease`, or a region variant.

Product flavors can override resources by providing the same resource name/key in `src//res/values/`.

To confirm a flavor’s app name, you must build the exact variant you intend to ship and then install that artifact.

Quick comparison: where app name changes should live

To avoid conflicts, decide whether branding is “global,” “localized,” or “variant-specific.”

If your requirement is…	Put `app_name` in…	Why
Same app name for everyone	`app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml`	Base value used universally
Different name per language	`res/values-/strings.xml`	Resource selection is automatic per locale
Different edition per flavor	`src//res/values/strings.xml`	Build-time resource override per variant

Verify the Change in the Launcher and App Switcher

If the label doesn’t update right away, verification usually comes down to caching and the exact APK you installed. After you rebuild, confirm the launcher label and recent apps label match your change on a real device.

Confirm the UI surfaces that show the app name

Clear launcher cache or reboot if the old name persists
Confirm the app label in recent apps and the home screen
Test on a real device to avoid emulator cache quirks

Android UI surfaces like the launcher and recents can reuse cached label data. In my experience, a force-stop of the launcher process—or a quick reboot—resolves stubborn “old name” behavior more often than repeated rebuilds. Also, remember that the emulator may behave differently depending on its image and launcher.

Launcher and recents may display an older resolved label due to device-side caching, even after you install an updated APK/AAB.

Testing on a physical device helps confirm branding changes because launcher caching behavior can differ from emulators.

Q: What’s the fastest verification method after changing app name?
Install the newly built app on a test device, then check the app label from both the home screen and the recents screen.

Q: If it’s still wrong, what should I do next?
Clear launcher data (or reboot) and re-check `AndroidManifest.xml` for any `android:label` override and any flavor-specific string resources.

A quick data point to set expectations

According to Android’s platform behavior documented by AOSP and developer guidance, resources are resolved at runtime and tied to installed package metadata (https://source.android.com/docs/setup/start/building). Practically, that means label updates should be correct once the new package is installed—but caches can delay what you visually observe.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If the app name still doesn’t change, you’re usually dealing with either the wrong resource file, a manifest override, or cached UI state. The goal is to eliminate each cause in a predictable order—starting from manifest resolution and ending with cache clearing and clean builds.

Most common troubleshooting sequence

Ensure the `app_name` string exists and is referenced correctly
Look for overriding labels from manifest or product flavor resources
If using ProGuard/R8 or caching, do a clean rebuild

If the displayed label isn’t updating, the most likely root cause is an `android:label` override that bypasses `@string/app_name`.

If multiple build variants exist, the label may be coming from `src//res/values/strings.xml` rather than the base `res/values/strings.xml`.

A clean rebuild plus reinstall is the most reliable way to rule out stale compiled resources during troubleshooting.

Pros/cons: typical fixes you can apply

Fix	Pros	Cons / When it fails
Update `android:label` to `@string/app_name`	Most deterministic; ensures resource-driven localization	If the wrong string key is referenced, you’ll still see mismatches
Add missing localized `app_name` entries	Fixes language-specific label regressions	Doesn’t help if manifest is hard-coded to literal text
Clear launcher data / reboot	Resolves “label didn’t update” due to UI caching	If the package’s label is wrong, caching won’t fix it

Q: Does ProGuard/R8 affect `app_name`?
No—`app_name` is a compiled Android resource, not code that ProGuard/R8 typically transforms. However, stale builds can still make you think the change didn’t apply.

A quick, reliable workflow that works in real projects

Update `app_name` in the correct `strings.xml` (base, localized, and/or flavor-specific).
Ensure `AndroidManifest.xml` uses `android:label="@string/app_name"` on the `` tag.
Run a clean build (in Android Studio) and reinstall the app on the device.
Verify both the launcher label and recent apps label, then clear launcher cache if needed.

If you update `app_name` in your app’s `strings.xml` (and adjust manifest references if needed), your app’s displayed name will change reliably. Try the quick edit first, then follow the language and flavor sections if you need different names across variants. After making changes, do a clean rebuild and verify the label on your device—then you’re ready to ship your updated app branding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to change the app name on Android without changing the package name?

To change the app name, update the label shown by Android in your project’s resources. In Android Studio, edit `android:label` in `AndroidManifest.xml` (or set it via `@string/app_name`), then change the value in `res/values/strings.xml`. Changing these affects the name displayed on the home screen and app switcher, without altering your app’s package name or app ID.

What steps do I need to change the app name on Android using strings.xml?

Open `res/values/strings.xml` and find the entry like `Old Name`. Replace the text with your new desired app name, then ensure your manifest label points to it (e.g., `android:label="@string/app_name"`). Rebuild and reinstall the app so the updated app name appears on the device.

How do I change the app name for different languages (localization) on Android?

Create separate `strings.xml` files for each locale, such as `res/values-es/strings.xml` for Spanish or `res/values-fr/strings.xml` for French. Add or update the `app_name` string in each localized file, keeping the same string key name (e.g., `app_name`). Android will automatically display the correct app name based on the user’s device language settings.

Which file controls the app name shown on the app launcher icon—AndroidManifest.xml or strings.xml?

Typically, the app name shown in the launcher comes from the `android:label` attribute in `AndroidManifest.xml`. If that label references `@string/app_name`, then the actual text is defined in `res/values/strings.xml`. So both files are involved: the manifest points to the string resource, and the strings file holds the visible app name.

Why doesn’t the app name change after I update it in Android Studio?

This usually happens because the app wasn’t reinstalled after the change or because the label is cached by the launcher. Uninstall the existing app from the device/emulator, then rebuild and reinstall the updated APK to ensure the new app name is applied. Also confirm you updated the correct resource used by `android:label` (e.g., not a different `app_name` string or a different build variant).

📅 Last Updated: July 09, 2026 | Topic: how to change app name in android | Content verified for accuracy and freshness.