The team at Android recently announced its new auto-archive feature to cut down on unnecessary uninstalls and assist users in installing new apps.
According to the team, once a user opts in, auto-archive can help them free up a chunk of an app’s storage space, without removing the app presence or users’ data.
Auto-archive works by partly removing infrequently used apps from the device in order to save space while still keeping the app icon and the user’s personal data preserved.
As long as the app is still available on Google Play, the user then has the option to redownload the app to pick up right where they left off.
To install auto-archive, the user must complete a few steps:
- Try to install a new app when the device has no storage left
- Look for the pop-up window asking if the user wants to enable the auto-archive feature
- Opt-in and unused apps will be auto-archives to make room for a new app request
This feature is only available for developers using the App Bundle to publish their applications. The team stated that if an app supports archiving, users will be less likely to see it surfaced among uninstall suggestions.
To learn more, read the blog post.
