To understand why a decompiler is necessary, one must understand what the resources.arsc file does:

This structure is precisely why specialized decompilation tools are necessary. A plain text editor or generic binary viewer would show gibberish—you need a parser that understands Android's Resource Table format.

I can provide a step-by-step guide tailored to your environment. Share public link

apktool d app.apk -o decoded/

It reads the binary header to understand the version and structure of the resource table.

The most complex component is the ResTable_package structure, which contains the actual resource definitions organized by resource type (such as string, color, dimen, layout, etc.) and configuration qualifiers (like language, screen density, and API level).

Understanding the ARSC Decompiler: A Guide to Android Resource Reverse Engineering

Ever wonder what’s inside the resources.arsc file in an Android APK? 📱🤖

Jadx is a highly popular tool primarily known for decompiling DEX bytecode into Java code. However, it features a powerful built-in resource decompiler. Jadx provides a clean Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows you to open an APK, click on the resources.arsc entry, and browse through perfectly formatted XML files instantly. Bytecode Viewer