If you are looking To Clear some space A common recommendation on your phone is to uninstall the apps that you don’t use frequently. You save on the storage space they take up and the bandwidth required to keep them up to date, and you also prevent them from collecting data about you.
However, if you’re not interested in completely removing your less-used apps – just in case you need them – there is another option. Both Android And iOS allow you to remove a large portion of the data and files associated with an app without actually uninstalling it. The app icon and some data remain on your phone. When you need it again, the remaining required data will be retrieved from the Internet and the app will be fully restored.
Android calls it “Archive Apps” and on an iPhone it’s called “Offload Apps.” Once you activate the feature, you can have everything done for you automatically. This means your less frequently used apps won’t take up a lot of space on your device, but are still easily accessible when you need them.
Archive apps on Android
You can manually archive any app on Android.David Nield
Starting with Google’s mobile operating system, archiving an app “removes its software, permissions, and temporary files and stops notifications, but retains the app icon and data.” Google’s words. You can manually choose which apps to archive, or let Android make that decision based on which apps you use the least.
To manually archive an app, open Settings and select Appsand then select the app you want to archive (tap Show all apps if what you want is not visible). Knock Archive to archive it: Next to the app icon in the app drawer – and on the home screen if there is one – there is an archive icon (an arrow in a cloud icon). To return an archived app to normal, simply tap its icon. After a quick restore, the app will launch as usual.
To have this all done automatically for you, open the Play Store app: tap your profile picture (top right), then select Settings And Generallyand activate Automatically archive apps. Google does not specify what criteria it uses to decide when to archive an app. However, the same archive icon will appear next to the name of all archived apps, just as it appears when you start the process manually.
If you have automatic app archiving enabled, you can still manually archive apps if necessary. You can also protect specific apps from automatic archiving: From the main Android Settings screen, select “ Apps and then select the app you want to protect. (Knock Show all apps if you can’t see it.) Turn that off Manage app when not in use Toggle switch and it will be left alone.
Offloading apps to iOS
iOS automatically downloads apps for you.David Nield
If you use an iPhone, iOS gives you the option to offload apps. Like Android, most of the app data is deleted to free up storage space, leaving important information on your phone. For example, if you decide to restore the app, you don’t have to log in and set your preferences again.
To find the option, open Settings on iOS and then select App Store. You will see a toggle switch labeled Download unused appsalong with a bit of information about what it does. Offloaded apps will still appear on the Home screen and in your app library, but will have a cloud icon.
Apple doesn’t say much about the criteria it uses to choose which apps to offload – such as how long an app must remain inactive before action is taken – but you can quickly restore an app by simply tapping its icon. The required data will be downloaded again and the app will then start normally.
If necessary, you can also manually outsource an app at any time. In Settings, select the option GenerallyThen iPhone storage. You’ll see a list of all installed apps (you can sort them by size using the filter at the top if necessary): Tap an app to find it Unload app Option. This button then changes to Reinstall appwhich will restore the app again.
