Google May Be Adjusting Its Play Store Space-Saving Feature

Google appears to be rolling out a redesign of the Google Play Store’s space-saving features to bring it more closely in line with those found its Files Go application. Specifically, the new feature changes the way the card for space management in the updates tab of the Play Store functions. Previously, tapping the card – which reads “You’re running low on storage” and shows up as the top item when device storage dwindles – resulted in a pop-out which allowed a user to select installed applications based on size. The user could then choose to uninstall selected applications they no longer need or want. After the adjustment, the feature now appears to sort applications by how recent or frequently an application is used rather than by size alone. That’s very close to the space-saving features found in Files Go, which the company has recently spent a reasonable amount of effort updating and promoting.

The most obvious benefit to this kind of a change would be that it allows users to more quickly and accurately gauge which applications are not immediately needed. That should ease the process of elimination for mid-range or budget device owners who may need to free up some space to install important applications or just to make their device run a bit more smoothly. It could also be helpful for any Android user who doesn’t want their device clogged up with applications they never use, even if that isn’t a low-spec device.

Unfortunately, it isn’t immediately clear whether this updated version of the feature is rolling out to everybody or only a select handful of testers, as of this writing. However, it appears to be tied in with a server-side update to the stable version of the Google Play Store – version 8.5 and up – and to a new version rolling out under the version number 8.7. Moreover, with a relatively small update like this, it wouldn’t necessarily be surprising for the company to include it for everybody at once. With that said, this could still be just a test rollout and Google hasn’t officially revealed the feature itself. So it seems like everybody is just going to have to wait and see if the redesign shows up on their respective devices or not.