Google Is Killing an Android App Feature You Probably Never Used

Google rolled out Android Instant Apps way back in 2017, offering users a way to try out certain apps without fully downloading them. The idea was to help people save time and phone storage space, but the feature never really picked up steam and will be discontinued in December.

Google actively pitched the feature to the mobile gaming industry, telling developers how it could help onboard new players put off by lengthy download times. However, developers needed to get on board and shrink their apps down to a measly 15MB, not an easy task in the world of modern apps, even for a slimmed-down experience.

As such, Instant Apps never really gained much mainstream attention, though apps like budget retailer Wish and video-streaming platform Vimeo did at one point roll out Instant Apps integrations, Android Authority notes.

Instant Apps aren’t quite dead yet. Support will remain in place on the Google Play Store until December 2025, after which all Google Play Instant APIs will no longer work.

If, for whatever reason, you’d like to try out the feature while it still exists, there aren’t many eligible apps left. But if you’re curious, Finnish evening newspaper Ilta-Sanomat still provides an Android Instant Apps version on the Play Store.

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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