Where to Put the Chilkat JNI Shared Libraries (Android)

Where the .so files go in your project

The Chilkat Android download contains one libchilkat.so per ABI under libs/. In an Android Studio project, copy each into the matching ABI folder under app/src/main/jniLibs/:

app/src/main/jniLibs/
├─ arm64-v8a/     libchilkat.so
├─ armeabi-v7a/   libchilkat.so
├─ x86/          libchilkat.so
└─ x86_64/       libchilkat.so

When you build, Gradle automatically packages these into the APK under the lib/<abi>/ folder, and Android loads the one matching the device's architecture at runtime. (Keep the ABI folder names exactly as shown.)

Which ABIs to include

Include every ABI you intend to support. At minimum, include arm64-v8a for real devices; add x86_64 if you run the x86 emulator. You can restrict the packaged ABIs in build.gradle:

android {
    defaultConfig {
        ndk {
            abiFilters "arm64-v8a", "armeabi-v7a", "x86_64"
        }
    }
}

Load the library in code

Load the native library once before using any Chilkat class — pass the name without the lib prefix or .so extension:

// e.g. in a static initializer or Application.onCreate
System.loadLibrary("chilkat");

Troubleshooting UnsatisfiedLinkError

1. Confirm the .so is in the APK

   An .apk is a ZIP archive — open it and check that lib/<abi>/libchilkat.so is present for the device's architecture.

2. Match the device's ABI

   Make sure you included the ABI the device/emulator uses (most physical devices are arm64-v8a). If you set abiFilters, confirm it lists that ABI.

3. Check the library name

   The name passed to System.loadLibrary must be "chilkat" — not "libchilkat" or "libchilkat.so".

4. Read logcat

   Run adb logcat to see the exact reason the library failed to load.