What is the TPK file format?
A .tpk file is a Tizen Application Package - the installable app bundle used on Samsung's Tizen-powered devices, including Galaxy Watch smartwatches and Samsung smart TVs.
Structurally, .tpk is a standard ZIP archive renamed with the .tpk extension, so tools such as 7-Zip can inspect its contents without any special software. Inside you will find either a tizen-manifest.xml (for native C/C++ or .NET/C# apps) or a config.xml (for web apps built with HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS). Additional contents include compiled binaries or web assets, a lib/ directory for shared libraries, a res/ resource folder, and a META-INF/ signature block containing the app's certificates.
Three application types share the .tpk extension:
- Native apps written in C or C++
- Web apps using HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS (sometimes packaged as
.wgtinstead) - .NET/C# apps via Tizen .NET, supported since Tizen 3.0 (2017)
Before a .tpk package can be installed on a device, it must carry both an author certificate and a distributor certificate (X.509/XML-DSig). Unsigned packages are rejected at install time. Developers build and sign packages using Tizen Studio, Samsung's official IDE. Tizen phones were discontinued around 2019; the platform now focuses on Galaxy Watch wearables and Samsung smart TVs. The registered MIME type is application/vnd.tizen.package.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMTPK files are application packages that run code on target devices. Sideloading TPK from untrusted sources carries the same risks as any app sideload: potential malware, data theft, or device instability. Tizen Studio and Galaxy Store perform signature verification; manually installed TPKs bypass store-side review.
Format details
in a nutshell- Tableau Packaged Workbook - Tableau Desktop also uses .tpk for packaged workbooks exported with data sources; completely unrelated to Tizen.
- ArcGIS Tile Package - Esri ArcGIS uses .tpk for offline map tile packages; completely unrelated to Tizen.
Programs that open TPK files
Windows2 apps
Tizen Studio
Free Use Device Manager in Tizen Studio to install TPK on a connected Galaxy Watch or TV (sdb install app.tpk via command line). 
macOS1 app
Linux1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Container format | ZIP archive (PKZIP-compatible, magic bytes 50 4B 03 04) |
| App types supported | Native (C/C++), web (HTML5/JS/CSS), .NET/C# (Tizen .NET since Tizen 3.0) |
| Manifest file | tizen-manifest.xml (native/.NET apps) or config.xml (web apps) |
| Compression | DEFLATE, applied per entry within the ZIP container |
| Code signing | Mandatory; author + distributor X.509 certificates with XML-DSig; unsigned packages rejected at install |
| MIME type | application/vnd.tizen.package |
| Internal structure | lib/ (shared libraries), res/ (resources), META-INF/ (signature block) |
| Byte order | Little-endian (ZIP structure fields) |
| Development tool | Tizen Studio (official build, sign, and deploy IDE) |
| Target platforms | Samsung Galaxy Watch wearables, Samsung smart TVs, Tizen IoT devices |
| .NET support | C# apps supported since Tizen 3.0 (2017) using the Tizen .NET API |
| Typical file size | 500 KB - 100 MB depending on app complexity and embedded assets |
| Format identification | PK magic alone is insufficient; confirmed as TPK by tizen-manifest.xml or config.xml inside the archive |
| Released | 2012 (Tizen 1.0) |
| Latest version | Tizen 9.0 (2024) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | docs.tizen.org |
TPK conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about TPK files.
