The new update of archive feature should shrink size of an archived APKs of an app by around 60% helping users to free up space on devices
Android users mostly uninstall apps to free up space in the device and now Google is reportedly developing a tool that would allow users to archive specific apps helping them free up space on their devices. According to the Google, any kind of app with this feature would allow user to uninstall the app partially, as it will shrink the app’s size by around 60% without removing the app completely.
The new features creates a new type of APK (Android Package) to shrinks size of an app and remove it partially. The APK or the guts make the apps functional on android devices, which it calls archived APKs. According to the Google, the APKs that are archived are smaller in size and save all the data on a device until it is restored, which brings it back to its original size. The new feature is expected to be available for developers with Bundletool 1.10 release, however, it is not set to be functional until the feature is introduced to the general populations by the company later in 2022. Reportedly, developers have choice to opt out of archived APKs.
The details of the feature presenting on Android are not yet available, however, it is expected to appear with the uninstall option when a user long-presses icon of the app. In conclusion, the new feature of archived APKs could be very useful for people who have various apps installed on the device, yet not used very often. Archiving these apps and restoring them is quicker compared to reinstalling apps. Moreover, it may consume comparatively less mobile data when there is no availability of Wi-Fi.