A tile package is a tiled layer that's been bundled into a single .tpk/.tpkx file. The file contains a tile cache of the data and metadata about the layer, packaged into a single, portable file. Developers using ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps can add a tile package to an app using the local tiled layer class and share tile layers via regular file sharing methods (email, FTP, and so on) and through ArcGIS Online. Tile packages are ideal for disconnected environments where access to local data is required, and are ideal for displaying basemaps.