What is code obfuscation?

Code obfuscation prevents any unauthorized party from accessing and gaining insight into the logic of an application, which prevents the attacker from extracting data, tampering with code, exploiting vulnerabilities, and more.

The Problem

Mobile applications can be reverse engineered using readily available disassemblers and/or decompilers, making it easy for hackers to access and analyze the source code of your applications. Hackers can then:

Steal intellectual property & clone applications
Extract sensitive information & harvest credentials
Identify vulnerabilities
Add malicious code to apps & repackage them

Data of a sensitive nature may include; valuable intellectual property (such as custom algorithms), authentication mechanisms, in-app payment mechanisms, keys (API keys, hardcoded encryption keys etc.), credentials (database passwords etc.), the logic behind server communication, and much more.

The Solution: Code Obfuscation

Code Obfuscation is the practice of changing data and code to make it more difficult for attackers to read, understand, decompile, or disassemble. This is done by transforming the application’s code into an equally functional but less readable form. This helps to protect intellectual property and prevent reverse engineering.

Application developers must harden the code at various layers. This is the only way to achieve the level of protection necessary to safeguard sensitive data and property in mobile applications. Obfuscation is part of a broader mobile application shielding strategy.

Application shielding is a broad term for the process of making it more difficult for hackers to reverse engineer or modify an app. There are various techniques that can be used for application shielding, including code obfuscation and other code hardening techniques, as well as runtime mobile application self-protection (RASP).

Why use code obfuscation?

All of this is undertaken without altering the function of the code or the end user experience in a meaningful way.

Code obfuscation strategies include:

Renaming classes, fields, methods, libraries etc.
Altering the structure of the code
Transforming arithmetic and logical expressions

Encryption of strings, classes etc.
Removing certain metadata
Hiding calls to sensitive APIs, and more

Mobile application obfuscation prevents hacking

Code obfuscation is a technique of mobile app protection that is used to enhance the security of the software by making it more resistant to reverse engineering and unauthorized modifications. The goal is to delay hackers attempting to understand how the code works.

Ready to see how code obfuscation can better secure your mobile applications?

Request pricing

Types of obfuscated code

There are several techniques available today to obfuscate code. These include:

Name obfuscation

The replacement of readable names in the code by difficult to decipher alternatives

Control flow obfuscation

The modification of the logical structure of the code to make it less predictable and traceable

Arithmetic obfuscation

The conversion of simple arithmetic and logical expressions into complex equivalents

Code virtualization

The transformation of method implementation into instructions for randomly generated virtual machines

Learn more in our blog

Android

11 min read | October 21, 2025

How Android Developers Can Mitigate Risks of Pixnapping-style Attacks