Automatic Android app archiving is now available to all users

While modern phones have more capacity than ever before, a large library of applications can still consume a significant amount of data on your smartphone. Android recently added the ability to automatically "archive" apps that aren't being used frequently, and that capability is now easily accessible to all users.

Auto-archive on Android initially appeared on the Play Store in April 2023, allowing users to dump Android apps they aren't actively using to make room for new app downloads and updates. It's a brilliant function, but it was previously only available if your phone ran out of storage space.

This feature would display for customers who had run out, or were on the verge of running out, of storage space on their Android phones. The Play Store would then urge customers to enable auto-archive, which was the only option to enable the function.

AssembleDebug reports that Google is now sending out the ability to enable auto-archive for Android apps regardless of storage capacity. A new feature in the Play Store allows users to preemptively enable auto-archive, ensuring that they never run out of storage while installing new apps.

According to Google, auto-archive will still only activate if your smartphone is short on storage, so even if you switch it on with plenty of space, applications won't be offloaded until you run out.

To enable auto-archive, enter the Play Store, press your profile picture, choose settings, and then select "Automatically archive apps" under the "General section."

When your phone starts archiving applications, you'll notice them in your app library in the Play Store under a "archived" filter.