Google announced that it’s increasing the APK file size limit for Android apps from 50MB to 100MB giving developers more room to work with in creating app experiences with less restriction.
Google does warn, however, that just because you can now make an app bigger, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. It reminds developers to consider things like mobile data connectivity, mobile data caps, app performance, and install time.
“Smartphones are powerful devices that can support diverse tasks from graphically intensive games to helping people get work done from anywhere,” says Kobi Glick from the Google Play team. “We understand that developers are challenged with delivering a delightful user experience that maximizes the hardware of the device, while also ensuring that their users can download, install, and open the app as quickly as possible. It’s a tough balance to strike, especially when you’re targeting diverse global audiences.”
“To support the growing number of developers who are building richer apps and games on Google Play, we are increasing the APK file size limit to 100MB from 50MB,” Glick adds. “This means developers can publish APKs up to 100MB in size, and users will see a warning only when the app exceeds the 100MB quota and makes use of Expansion Files. The default update setting for users will continue to be to auto-updating apps over Wi-Fi only, enabling users to access higher quality apps and games while conserving their data usage.”
Google says it hopes the file size increase is useful and helps developers build higher quality apps and games. The thinking is, in fact, that the news really is all about games. Google has an event on Tuesday, which is expected to delve more into this as well as deliver a new Chromecast device.
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