Android phone users, especially those with limited storage space on their device, will no longer have to delete apps to free up space. Google is working on “App Archiving,” a feature that basically makes room for new apps or data by selecting and automatically removing parts of apps.
Google claims that users can save 60% of storage space when application archiving is enabled. Instead of completely deleting an app and losing related data, only certain parts are removed. When the user does this, the app is stored in a special new format called “Archived APK”. The biggest advantage of this system is that the data of the applications is not lost. When the user wants to get the application back, the deleted features are restored and it is possible to continue from where it left off with the data at hand.
Google has opened this system to application developers. It will have to wait until the end of this year for it to be available for all Android users. The new option is thought to be a comforting option for low-priced and, accordingly, data storage limited phone users and manufacturers.