Extract text from Signature or save files (SF)
To convert SF Save files to another format, you need Android Studio or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Security Signature File" file type, you need software like Android Studio or a similar tool.
The .sf file format is primarily used as an Android Application Signature File or a Java JAR signature file. It is typically found inside the META-INF directory of APK or JAR archives. These files store cryptographic hashes of the application's manifest file (MF) to verify data integrity. Secondary uses include Unity game save files generated by the Carter Games Save Manager, compiled plugin scripts for the GTA San Andreas multiplayer mod SAMPFUNCS, and data files for transcript quantification tools like Salmon.
Opening and interacting with .sf files depends strictly on their origin. Java and Android signatures can be viewed with any basic text editor or inspected using development tools like Android Studio. SAMPFUNCS plugins are essentially compiled Windows executables (similar to EXE or DLL) designed to be injected into a game process. Game save files are often serialized into binary or proprietary structures.
Users rarely need to convert an .sf file because doing so often destroys its core utility. Modifying or converting a Java/Android signature file instantly breaks the cryptographic chain, rendering the parent APK invalid and uninstallable. SAMPFUNCS files are compiled binaries, so converting them back to readable scripts is impossible without the original source code. For game saves, users might want to convert them to JSON or XML to edit character stats, but the files are frequently encrypted or compressed.
If you must extract information, the best target format for signature files is TXT, which simply retains the readable hash strings. For Unity saves, extraction to JSON is sometimes possible if the developer chose not to encrypt the data.
Standard online converters fail with .sf files because the extension represents entirely different, highly specialized, and closed data structures depending on the software. Our analyzer inspects the internal hex headers. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format - like a plain text signature or a recognized JSON structure - viewing or extraction may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SF file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted RSA, SFMEDIA, MF, ARSC, SF2, MP4, SO, MP3, AAB, OBB, AAP, CY and M2 files.
If you want to convert SF file to CY, M2, LF, SM, AC, MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA or M4A, you can use Android Studio or similar software from the "Digital Signature Verification" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to SF, try Android Studio or another comparable tool in the "Digital Signature Verification" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SF converter.