Android’s new auto-archive feature can shrink an app’s size by nearly 60% without removing data

Google Play Store will start offering an auto-archive feature to seamlessly downsize unused apps without losing your saved data. This feature will make more room for new apps on your Android device.

Whenever you run out of data on your phone, the Play Store will suggest you some apps to uninstall. This step will delete the data of your apps.

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To reduce unnecessary uninstalls and help users successfully install new apps, Google is introducing a new feature: auto-archive. Once a user opts in, auto-archive can help them automatically free up to nearly 60% of an app’s storage space, without removing the app presence or users’ data from the device.

The Archive app feature will delete the core part of an Android app from your device without deleting the personal data and app icon. The archived app will show a new cloud download symbol over its normal icon in your app launcher. You will have to re-download the app from Play Store in order to use the app again. For easy use, the Play Store will soon be adding an opt-in option for the auto-archive feature.

Auto-archive is a new feature that allows users to free up space on their device without the need to completely uninstall an app. Once the user opts in, infrequently used apps will be partly removed from the device to save space, whilst the app icon and the user’s personal app data will be preserved. When the user wants to start using the app again, they can simply tap to re-download it and pick up where they left off (as long as the app is still available on Google Play).

According to official information, the Auto-archive feature is only available for developers using the App Bundle to publish their apps. If your app supports archiving, users will be less likely to see it surface amongst uninstall suggestions. Some important points are:

• The user tries to install a new app when the device is out of storage.
• A pop-up window appears asking if the user wants to enable auto-archive.
• If the user opts in, unused apps on the user’s device will be auto-archived to free up enough space for a new app request.