Best Ways to Reduce Android App Size

A 256GB mobile storage space is now required due to the popularity of mobile applications. App sizes will only increase as developers endeavour to support their apps on various device sizes while adding new features. Before installing, about 70% of users think about the app’s size. Nobody wants to use their data to download and install a considerable apk. Your app’s performance will ultimately depend on the size of the apk. So, while working on the project, it’s crucial to keep the size of the apk in mind.

You may learn more about how to shrink the size of the app in this article. Let’s get started by looking at some of the suggestions and techniques for reducing the size of the apk.

Remove unnecessary sources.                                           

Your app’s code, assets, and graphics may each have a minimal influence on the APK’s size. Making your APK smaller by removing unnecessary sources would help, but only to a certain extent. Removing unneeded JPEGs, PNGs, and other items from the APK’s sources. It is also preferred to use small-size pictures to reduce APK size. Instead of using different image formats like JPEG, PNG, and others, it is advised to use vector drawables. Vector drawables’ small size has the crucial advantage of ensuring that their quality is preserved regardless of size changes. You can hire dedicated developers with experience in removing sources that are not used anymore.

Use the Android size analyzer plugin.

Thanks to this plugin’s suggestions, your application’s size can be decreased in several places. The following tasks are possible using APK Analyzer:

• The DEX and Android resource files in the APK can be viewed to determine their absolute and relative sizes.
• Recognize how DEX files are constructed.
• View APK files, like the AndroidManifest.xml file, in a snap to see the most recent versions.
• Put two APKs side by side and compare them.

When an application is open, there are three methods for using the APK Analyzer:

• Drag an APK into Android Studio’s Editor window.
• Double-click the APK in the build/output/apks/ directory to open it in the Project window’s perspective.
• Select your APK. In the menu bar, choose to Build > Analyze APK.

Compress Images

With the help of tools such as pngcrush and tinypng, you can compress the PNG files, reducing the apk size. Although you are compressing the image, the images will look the same but have less storage space as they are compressed.

Library Optimization

Large libraries take up a lot of room, so it’s best to eliminate any items you don’t need if the library’s licensing permits it. Proguard can help you with this procedure, but it can’t permanently eradicate significant internal dependencies.

Remove Dead Code

The APK file size appears to affect how quickly an app loads, how much memory is used, and how much power is consumed. Any flawed or dead code must be removed for an app to function correctly. Given that the codes are useless to begin with, this does not affect how well the software works. Deleting this improves the quality of the source code and eliminates the requirement to maintain code size. Additionally, since defective or dead code is the primary cause of most vulnerabilities, removing it will prevent or stop any entrance point for program flaws. As a result, the apps remain secure against malicious assaults and free of bugs.

 Compress the codebase

If the app code isn’t updated and compressed, it will always consume space. The size of the codebase can be decreased. There are numerous ways to accomplish this, one of which is by removing or erasing extraneous and superfluous code generated. Additionally, avoiding all enumerations, minimizing the size of the native binary by removing debug symbols, and exporting native libraries are surefire ways to reduce the size of the codebase.

Use Android App Bundle

The App Bundle is a publishing format used in the Android App Studio to create and deliver excellent Android apps in the appropriate sizes before deploying the app. APK file size reduction of 35% is required before publishing your program. Google Play creates a base APK from an app. aab file when the app is uploaded, including the app code and resources needed for providing base functionality. It also includes many configuration APKs made for different device settings. These steps are required because storage capacity and device variances exist. The Android App Bundle provides only the code and materials users need to make the app work on their devices.

Minimize the resources

To create an app for Android, developers require external libraries. Google Play Services and the Android Support Library are the two libraries used for resources the most frequently. The two libraries aid in automatic code translation and enhance app usability. However, not all of the libraries’ resources and functionality are designed for use in android apps.

Therefore, the developers can remove the resources that the Android app does not require. The app’s size and reliance on outside resources are decreased through the library resources. This improves the app’s functionality as well. The developer can edit the application file only to keep the necessary resources. With the ability to change the app framework and associations, the developer performs this action. Additionally, programmers can switch to a library optimized for mobile devices but exclusively for Android apps. To reduce the size, this indicates the resources being used.

Reduce Enumerations

With an increase in quantity, enums grow the file size. The file grows by between 1.0 and 1.4 KB with each enumeration. Enumerations may accumulate for Android apps supported by multilayered systems or shared libraries. To eliminate enumerations is therefore always preferable. Using tools, computations can be transformed into integers as one option available to creators of Android apps. When you’re preparing to hire Android developers, it is essential to confirm that the developers know the sizes and features of popular app features. Android app size optimization is a skill that developers must have expertise in android app optimization.

Conclusion

These are a few of the ideal techniques for minimizing the size of your app while still achieving feature-rich, interactive, and small-sized apps. Any company that develops mobile applications will work to create apps that are engaging, portable, and user-friendly to maintain user interest. Users readily choose little programs over those that require significant amounts of storage since they are responsive and easy to use. Additionally, large-size apps frequently lack market competitiveness as they present additional operational difficulties. As a result, cutting down on the size of apps during the development process is a good idea.