Android smartphones with little internal storage can now enable automatic archiving to save space.

Google is rolling out a new feature that will automatically archive infrequently used apps when they are low or out of storage. The feature will be rolled out across all devices, regardless of which version of Android you’re using from which manufacturer. The update will be pushed through Google Play Services.

The search giant claims that automatic archiving can save up to 60 percent of disk space without completely deleting the application and associated data. Archived apps have a cloud icon with a down arrow, indicating that you temporarily need an internet connection to reactivate the app.

The app will be downloaded after tapping if it is still available in the Play Store. If you want to install an app for the first time and are confronted with insufficient storage space, you can now see the function with which you can activate auto-archiving. If you choose yes, you will immediately see what you can gain in storage space.

Android mainly targets the little to unused apps on your device. You can further customize the feature via the settings menu in Android if the OS is a bit too reckless about auto-archiving. The feature is never activated automatically, you have to activate it the first time.

Google is way too late with that. Since iOS 11, you can archive unused applications on iPad and iOS without losing the data associated with the app. You also need to download it again before you can use it.