What is the purpose of the android:exported attribute in the AndroidManifest.xml file for app components?

The android:exported attribute in AndroidManifest.xml determines whether an app component (Activity, Service, BroadcastReceiver, or ContentProvider) can be accessed or interacted with from other applications.

• If android:exported="true", the component is available externally, meaning other applications can invoke it.
• If android:exported="false", the component is only available within the app itself.

Starting from Android 12, this attribute has become mandatory for components with intent filters to enhance security and explicitly specify which components are accessible from outside.