Android will get app archive function later this year to free up storage space

Google is working on a feature that will allow users to archive certain Android apps, as it were. This means that about 60 percent of the storage space is temporarily freed up. This feature will be available later this year.

This is a storage space saving of approximately 60 percent, where an app simply remains on the device and can easily be restored to the latest compatible version, while also preserving user data. The archive function only works with apps built with Android Gradle Plugin 7.3.

The function works by creating a new type of apk called archived apk’s. Those are very small APKs that keep the user data until the app is restored. This feature will be available to developers as soon as Bundletool 1.10 comes out. Developers can opt-out if they don’t want to use the feature.

After implementing the upcoming update for Bundletool 1.10, archive APKs will be created automatically whenever a developer creates an App Bundle. These APKs are already being created from now on, but they won’t be usable until the archive function comes out to consumers sometime later this year.

Google says it is introducing this feature because creating more storage space is one of the main reasons users uninstall apps. The company indicates that it wants to help prevent unnecessary apps from being uninstalled with this feature.