C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Android 15’s new app archiving characteristic works with apps distributed as each APKs and Android App Bundles.
- In distinction, the Google Play Retailer’s app archiving characteristic solely works with apps distributed as Android App Bundles.
- The rationale for this distinction is that Google needed to make use of a intelligent trick to make the Play Retailer’s app archiving characteristic work on older variations of Android.
Google lastly rolled out the Android 15 replace to Pixel gadgets in the present day, ending the almost month-and-a-half-long wait because it launched the working system’s supply code. One notably cool trick in Android 15 is app archiving. This characteristic frees up space for storing by eradicating an app’s set up and non permanent information, however it doesn’t take away its knowledge, saving you from having to set it up once more sooner or later. App archiving isn’t unique to Android 15, as Google’s app retailer already helps it, however the characteristic is much less restrictive in Android 15 and works with all app distribution codecs — not simply app bundles.
Final yr, the Google Play Retailer rolled out an “auto-archiving” characteristic that routinely archives apps you don’t usually use. Google Play’s auto-archiving characteristic achieves an analogous consequence as Android 15’s app archiving characteristic, however the best way it really works is totally completely different underneath the hood. See, so as to make Google Play auto-archiving work with out OS-level help, Google needed to make use of a intelligent trick: The corporate made use of the compartmentalized nature of the Android App Bundle format that many builders use to distribute Android apps on the Google Play Retailer.
When builders add an Android App Bundle for distribution on Google Play, the Play Console routinely generates the bottom APK, cut up APKs, and multi-APKs wanted for all configurations the app helps, however it additionally generates an extra “archived APK.” An archived APK is basically a trimmed-down model of the bottom APK that’s put in on gadgets whenever you obtain many apps from Google Play. When the Google Play Retailer goes to archive an app, it installs the archived APK on high of the bottom APK file, which is feasible as a result of the archived APK has the very same signature as the bottom APK.
For the reason that archived APK is nearly empty, save for the app’s authentic icon (with a cloud-download emblem overlaid on high) and a few tiny quantity of code to ship the command to revive the app when the icon is tapped, it takes up a lot much less area. Plus, since solely the bottom APK was overwritten, the app’s knowledge is stored intact, and all of the Play Retailer has to do to revive the app again to regular is redownload the bottom APK (and another mandatory splits).
To simplify issues for builders, Google determined to make the Play Retailer’s auto-archiving characteristic solely work with Android apps distributed within the Android App Bundle format, as a result of with the best way bundles are sometimes generated and signed, builders don’t should do any extra legwork to help the characteristic. One of many important the explanation why Google wished to bake app archiving help into the OS is so third-party app shops can help the characteristic. Most third-party app shops don’t use app bundles, although, which is why Google determined to make app archiving in Android 15 work with apps distributed as APKs, too.
The truth that Android 15’s app archiving characteristic works with common APKs isn’t talked about in Google’s documentation, however it’s straightforward to confirm. Instagram and Threads, two standard Android apps distributed within the APK format, can each be archived in Android 15, for instance. When Android 15 archives an app like this, it doesn’t set up an “archived APK” on high of it. As an alternative, it utterly deletes the app set up information however nonetheless treats the app prefer it’s put in, so it seems within the dwelling display screen and in Settings. Android additionally shops a replica of the app’s authentic icon in a personal knowledge listing which it then applies a filter over and provides an overlay to make it clear the app is archived.
The truth that app archiving in Android 15 works with all Android apps is nice information, and it’ll hopefully spur third-party app shops so as to add help for the characteristic, simply as Google meant. Should you’re questioning the way to use the brand new app archiving characteristic in Android 15, comply with that hyperlink the place my colleague Rita El Khoury explains every little thing.
