For the past several years, Google has been working to make Android apps smaller in size by optimizing what code and resources are downloaded to devices. The latest initiative on this front is “App Install Optimization” in Google Play.
When you turn on app installation optimization, Google can tell you which parts of an application you open for the first time after installation. When enough people do this, Google can optimize the app for everyone to install, open, and run.
This Crowd Source feature does not collect your name, email address or any personal information by enforcing the company’s existing privacy policy. Additionally, it “doesn’t pay attention to anything outside of the app, like other apps or content on your device.”
It also does not collect information about content uploaded or downloaded to the app, such as images in social feeds, or rankings on the leaderboard.
Your trends are linked to other users “to find trends and identify which parts of the application are most important to each.” Google App Install cites three advantages of optimization, but does not specify what the Play Store actually does for subsequent app downloads by new users following this data aggregation.
- Quick installation for apps from Google Play
- Reduce the amount of time it takes for apps to open and run
- Reduce stress on your device’s CPU, battery, and storage
Google is prioritizing the downloads feature by feature. For example, a social media application that most people only use to browse posts may not initially be able to download content creation capabilities (e.g., photo filters, video editing, etc.). That capability can only be installed when the user actually goes to use it, or when their connection has improved.
Those who are not comfortable with their capabilities can turn it off with Play Store settings, but they will “still benefit from data collected from others.” App Install optimization is not yet live in the Play Store, but its references are included with the latest release (version 24.5.13), while the support document is now available.
More about Google Play:
Dylan Russell Contributed to this article
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