Android package names, explained

Why every app has a reverse-domain id, what it can and cannot tell you, and how to look one up.

What it is

Every Android app has an application id, usually called the package name: com.spotify.music, org.telegram.messenger. Google Play uses it in the listing address (?id=com.spotify.music) and refuses two apps with the same id.

Reverse-domain convention

Developers are encouraged to start the id with a domain they own, reversed. So com.spotify hints at spotify.com. It is a convention, not a proof: nothing stops anyone from choosing com.example.anything.

Why it matters

• It never changes after the first release, while titles change often.
• It is the only reliable key to join app data from different sources.
• It shows up in crash logs, analytics and device management tools, where the title does not.

Looking one up

Paste a package name into the search on this site, or open /info/ followed by the id. Through the API: /api/v1/app?id=…; to find the package of a title, use /api/v1/suggest?q=….