# R8 Code Shrinking and Obfuscation: how AI models rank it, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. Named in 1 judge labels across 1 categories by 1 of 14 models. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/vendors/r8-code-shrinking-and-obfuscation/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application shielding | 2% | 22 | 0% | 1 |

## What the models said for it

- "R8 (now standard in modern Android builds) is the best tool because it is free and built-in" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, App shielding)

## Record

- Method: https://it-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://it-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, it-ai-index.com.