When Google first introduced App Bundles back in 2018, it made it possible for developers to split their apps into smaller parts, resulting in smaller apps for end users to download and install.
For the uninitiated, App Bundles break an app into smaller modules instead of existing as one extensive APK housing every piece of data that the app may need. Therefore, if you are a Spanish speaker, for instance, the App Bundles make it possible for you to only download and install the bundle housing the Spanish language, leaving alone modules that house other languages that you would probably never use.
Leaving out the other languages, as well as other data and information that are not relevant to the device that you are using such as display resolutions and CPU architecture, cuts down on app storage requirements by 20 percent according to Google.
After their introduction in 2018, Google waited for 3 years until 2021 before the tech giant made App Bundles mandatory for all newly listed Android apps on the Play Store. Fast-forward to 2022, and the company has now decided to push the same requirements for Google TV and Android TV platforms starting May 2023.
The new directive gives developers 6 months to make their applications compliant, failure of which Google says it will hide them from search. The tech giant estimates that it will take only 3 days of work for a solo engineer to migrate an existing application to the new format.
Saving on space is always important, especially on smart TVs which typically come with very limited storage, mostly 8 GB, of which you will be lucky to have more than half that available for your use. This limited space can only accommodate a few number of apps and games before you start suffering from performance issues due to inadequate space. The App Bundles will go a long way in solving this issue.
Combine App Bundling and app archiving and you could save up to 60% of the storage space that the previous APK format would take up, allowing you to install more apps. Furthermore, app archiving support is mandatory on Android TVs, unlike on smartphones where it is still optional.
