A smartphone’s local storage has become a coveted asset in today’s digital landscape, especially as flagship and mid-range devices increasingly forgo microSD card support. With applications consuming hundreds of megabytes and the added weight of games, photos, and videos, users are often left grappling with limited space. For those who have invested in high-storage capacity smartphones, the challenge may be less daunting. However, for users of devices with more modest storage options, archiving unused apps emerges as a practical solution to reclaim valuable space.
How to archive unused Android apps manually in Android 15
For budget-friendly Android phones priced under 0, storage limitations are a common concern. While many of these devices offer the option to expand storage via microSD cards, the speed of built-in storage often surpasses that of external options. This is where Android’s app archiving feature, introduced in the Google Play Store in 2022 and now integrated into Android 15, can prove invaluable. When enabled, this feature allows users to offload approximately 60% of an app’s data, freeing up significant storage while retaining the app icon, user data, and login information.
Interestingly, custom Android skins, such as those found on Oppo and OnePlus devices, have long offered a similar functionality that “pauses” or “freezes” an app’s state when it remains unused for a period. While this approach does not directly free up storage space, it does help manage memory usage, allowing for more available RAM.
Even premium models like the Google Pixel 9, which come equipped with just 128GB of base storage, can benefit from the app archiving feature. By automatically removing apps that are infrequently used, users can significantly alleviate their storage challenges, paving the way for a more efficient and streamlined smartphone experience.
