Limited storage is a key issue we encounter with our smartphones, especially if they have been in use for more than a year. It’s every time we run out of storage we first look at the apps which are less important to us and uninstall or delete them from our smartphones. To resolve the problem of storage, Google has come up with a solution for the same.
According to Google, it notes, “Instead of uninstalling an app, users would be able to “archive” it – free up space temporarily and be able to re-activate the app quickly and easily.”
Archiving, a new feature for Android phones has been announced by Google. In response to the widespread issue, this would allow users to “temporarily recover about 60% of app capacity.” When you archive a program, only parts of it are removed, as opposed to completely deleting it. Archiving a program removes its functionality but leaves its user data intact and, more significantly, does not uninstall it permanently.
How does this supposed archive feature work?
- Developers must first enable this option in their apps, according to Google.
- Users will then be offered the option of totally removing the app or keeping it on the device as long as the main data is kept.
With the upcoming version of the Bundletool 1.10 release, the first step will be taken by making it available to all the developers via App Bundles. However, there is still time for the Archive app capability to be made available. The apps built with Android Gradle Plugin 7.3, a new type of APKs, named as achieved APKs, will be generated. These newly generated APKs are very small in nature which will preserve the user data until the app is restored. With this, there’s news for all the users that archived APKs will not be functional until this year 2022 lately to the users.
This new feature will benefit the users and the developers together, as the developers win by having fewer uninstalls and “substantially lower friction” to regain users in the future and the users are benefitted by having more storage in their androids. Though the first version will be made available to the developers for inspection through Generated APKs API or Play Console under App Bundle Explorer.
