Why are Android apps growing in size with each update?
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For example, I'll take the VKontakte application: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vkontakte.android&hl=en
The application page says that it weighs 50 megabytes. However, after installing the application, it takes up 200 megabytes on the device. For owners of budget smartphones, the problem is aggravated by the fact that the VKontakte application cannot be transferred to an SD card.
Answer 1
January, 2021If you answer to the question given in the topic , then:
On the one hand, each subsequent update expands the software's capabilities, including new functions, supporting new gadgets, multimedia tools, new communication and interaction tools, security tools, hones and complicates tactile and graphical interfaces, etc. and also, sorry, but ... advertising opportunities. Increasing the amount of executable code is simply inevitable.
On the other hand, the biggest development of opportunities, since the appearance of the first smartphones, we have received storage devices (memory) and processing (processors) information. These changes are of several orders of magnitude scales. So, the amount of flash memory of new smartphones has increased from, once, 1GB to modern, 256GB and even more. Processor speed has also increased hundreds times. Therefore, the increase in the volume of software does not cause problems in new devices. It's cheap .
On the third hand, optimizing software is even more time consuming than development. This is expensive . And therefore, almost none of the developers do this. Doesn't clean, or does not remove old, non-working modules, libraries, drivers, databases, etc. Yes, in new software is full, with rare exceptions, ... old stuff .
On the fourth side. Related to this, the problems of the owners of old devices are of no interest to anyone. Moreover, everyone, both phone manufacturers and software developers, on the contrary, benefits from people updating their "device park" more often. It's business - profitable.
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Answer 2
January, 2021Yes, Alexander is right. You just downloaded the base from the Play Store, but it will expand in the system and will grow as new data is added.
Answer 3
January, 202150 megabytes is the weight of the installer, in turn, it is deployed on the device in a larger volume. With each update, some new features are added. For budget smartphone owners, it may not be worth updating apps. Or, as an option, use the mobile version through a browser.
Answer 4
January, 2021Usually, the Play Market indicates the size of the application installation file . This means that after installation, the size of the application itself may take up more space on an Android smartphone. In addition, during the operation of the application, various data can accumulate: cache, error reports, usage statistics, temporary files, options for settings and settings, which inevitably increases its "weight" .
It should be borne in mind that if an application update includes some additional functions , then its size cannot always be optimized for the previous one (and not all developers think about it). Therefore, if you aim at using the maximum number of applications, you should think about the prospect of buying a smartphone with a more capacious main memory - after all, indeed, not all applications are available for transfer to a memory card.