Android now lets you auto-archive apps

Google announced automatic archiving of unused applications. The function allows you to download unnecessary programs, but keep all user data and settings. If you re-download such an application, all your accounts, files and correspondence will remain in place. At the same time, the application loses up to 60% of the weight.

The downloaded application does not disappear from the smartphone at all: instead, a cloud-shaped icon appears on its icon. If you click on it, the download will begin - provided that the application is still available on Google Play.

Already, users can enable this feature when trying to download an application on Google Play for which there is not enough space on their smartphone.

Screenshots: Google

It is noted that automatic archiving is only available for applications that are distributed under the App Bundle (AAB) model. This is a special file format that allows you to reduce the size of applications and make it easier to release new versions. Developers have been required to use it for publishing applications on Google Play since 2021, so it's highly likely that all your programs already use AAB.