Free up Android space: Google trials uninstall app tool to help you do it
Google's app uninstall manager only lists software that could be uninstalled to make way for a new app.
Google may soon start telling Android users which apps should be deleted to free up space on their smartphone.
Smartphone survival test
The Android-maker has reportedly been testing this new feature within the Google Play app, which recommends apps that should be uninstalled when a lack of space is preventing the user from installing a new app.
Of course, besides apps, Android device storage is also consumed by video, photos, media files, and cached data from apps and Chrome. All that adds up and could potentially stop a user from installing a new app.
Android Police, which first reported the feature, notes the 'app uninstall manager' recommends uninstalling apps that aren't frequently used. It's specifically aimed at the moment a user attempts to install an app but can't, due to a lack of space.
When that occurs, Google Play will display how much space is needed and how much space is taken up by each app it is recommending for uninstalling. Users can simply check which of the listed apps they want to uninstall to make way for the new app.
The feature only lists apps that could be uninstalled to make way for a new app, while pointing out that users could free up additional space by deleting media files under storage in the settings page. However, the feature doesn't recommend uploading files to cloud services such as Google Drive or Google Photos instead.
Higher-end Android phones are less likely to run up against storage constraints, but there are still plenty of popular lower-end Android devices with limited storage. On top of this, as Android Police points out, some gaming apps are getting huge, such as LEGO Star Wars, which is 1.17GB in size.
Google hasn't yet decided whether to roll-out the feature globally, according to TechCrunch, which also notes Google has been testing the feature since May.