One of the biggest problems with Android apps today is their size. Large apps tend to slow down phones, and this has an impact on users, who now avoid installing "heavy" apps.
That's why Google announced the Android App Bundle, which will help developers optimize the size of their apps for Android devices.
What does the Android App Bundle do?
Think of it as a means of creating and managing multiple APKs for different devices. The only difference is that the burden of accomplishing this tedious process now falls on Google Play.
The Android App Bundle is essentially a new upload format that will include the compiled code and resources of each application, without implementing APK generation. The new format does not completely replace the standard APK file format. Instead, it allows developers to provide better customized APKs to Android users for their devices, directly through Google Play.
Since Google will be the one producing the APK, it has the advantage of offering “Dynamic Delivery” when making apps available. This means that the apps that users download will be optimized and will not contain code or resources that are not relevant to their device.
What are the benefits?
App Bundles make downloads smaller for users and help developers manage their apps. The new format also features Dynamic Feature Modules, which allow users to download the core of the app, giving them the ability to download additional features only when they need them.
Google claims it can reduce app sizes by up to 50%. The company has already tested Android App Bundles on its own apps like YouTube, but also on other apps like LinkedIn, which saw a 23% reduction in size.
