Extract text from SO files
To convert your SO file to another format, you need GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compiled Library" file type, you need software like GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) or a similar tool.
A .SO file is a Shared Object library, primarily formatted in the ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) standard. These files are essential components of Linux and Android operating systems, functioning identically to DLL files on Windows by allowing multiple programs to share the same compiled code simultaneously. Users typically encounter these files when digging into Android APKs, managing Linux server dependencies, or troubleshooting "missing shared object" errors.
The main challenge with .SO files is that they are binary executables, not human-readable text documents. Trying to open one in a standard text editor results in garbled characters. Furthermore, they are platform-specific; a .SO file compiled for Android (ARM architecture) cannot run on a Windows PC (x86 architecture) or even a standard Linux desktop without emulation. To "convert" or read these files, developers typically use decompilers like Ghidra or IDA Pro to reverse-engineer them into C or C++ source code. For quick inspection of the internal structure or dependencies, tools like readelf or objdump in the GNU Binutils suite are the industry standard. If you are a gamer dealing with Android mods (e.g., for Garena Free Fire), these files usually do not need conversion but rather specific placement within the device's lib directory.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SO file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted LIB, ZIP, ELF, DLL, TEXT, ARM, RSA, 6, DEX, TXT, APK, ARSC and PROPERTIES files.
If you want to convert SO file to A, DLL, DYLIB, JS, TS, PY, JAVA, CPP, C, CS, PHP or RB, you can use GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) or similar software from the "Shared Library Code" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SH, PY, KT, PS1, SWIFT, LUA, PL, JAVA, SCALA, JS, VBS or TS files to SO, try GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) or another comparable tool in the "Shared Library Code" 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 SO converter.