The development of technology in recent years has significantly expanded the capabilities of smartphones, and Google’s developments with each Android update delight users not only with improvements, but also with new options. Starting with the OS version Android 6.0, the functionality of the system has the ability to use the Instant Apps function. An innovative Google solution in the form of a tool built into the system makes working with the Play Market much more comfortable, besides, it solves the problem of insufficient memory on the device, which is sometimes a key point when working with applications on a smartphone.
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What it is
Many have already heard about the release of Instant Apps and even know what it is. The technology was introduced by Google in 2016, and starting next year, products that support the option began to appear in the app store, and during this time users were able to appreciate the convenience of its use. Of course, not everyone knows what kind of program it is and how it is useful, so let’s take a closer look at what Instant Apps is.
The function allows you to test an application from the Google Play Market without installing it by downloading just a small file. The memory of the device is not unlimited, besides, not all programs can be moved to the SD card, so sometimes you even have to delete an installed application in order to download a new one and it is not yet a fact that it is really necessary. If you do not like the product, it is not always easy to remove it, many of them leave behind a bunch of tails, putting down roots in the system, so special software is often required to completely remove the package and components that go into the load. Instant Apps has solved this problem. Now, in order to evaluate the software with all its capabilities, you do not need to download the application to your smartphone, taking up the device’s memory. Having tested the program or game, the user will be able to decide for himself,whether you need to install the full version of the product.
How Instant Apps work
Translated, Instant Apps sounds like “instant applications”. Thanks to the technology, you will significantly save time and protect yourself from unnecessary steps to install and remove software, if the product is not to your liking. Not all applications support the option yet, because the implementation of Instant Apps in each specific software depends on its developers. So, if there is support for the function on the application page in the Google Play Market, you will see the “Try” button next to the familiar “Install”, which means that you can test the software before installation. Pressing this button downloads a small file with a demo version of the product, which will be removed after closing the application.
Advantages and disadvantages of technology
Not all Android functionality is enjoyed by users. Like any software solution, Instant Apps also has advantages and disadvantages, therefore, for a clearer idea of the tool, we will consider the positive and negative aspects of the new service from Google.
pros
- Small amount of memory required to download software from Instant Apps;
- Implementation of the option in the Play Market application store, which makes it easy to use the service;
- High speed of downloading files;
- The option is supported by a large number of devices running on Android OS;
- Saving device resources, because the function allows you to evaluate the application without downloading its full version;
- The ability to share the software you like by sending the copied link to the user;
- In addition to downloading demo versions of the software, it is possible to view web versions of sites.
Minuses
- This feature is not supported by older versions of Android;
- At the moment, there are not many applications that support the technology. The fact is that the developer himself must technically implement the option in his product and in practice this is not very active;
- The Instant Apps option is automatically implemented and updated, which is not liked by many users and is perceived as an imposition, although Google considers such actions on its part to be the norm.
How to use Instant Apps
The Instant Apps function is standard for Android and is active by default, but if it is supported by the device, and for some reason is not enabled, then this is easy to do:
- In the device settings, go to the Google section;
- Select the item “Applications with instant launch” and drag the slider to the active position.
The function has been activated and you now have the opportunity to use it. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to the Play Market application store, find the software of interest;
- On the page of the application that supports the function, we see two buttons “Try” and “Install”. To see the overview version of the program, press the first one;
- When the test file is uploaded, the system will notify you about it;
- After reviewing the user agreement, click “Continue”;
- After the download is complete, the demo version of the application will start immediately;
- You will be able to evaluate some of the software features included in the trial version by the developer, and if you like the product, you can download it from Google Play by clicking on the appropriate button;
- After downloading the full version, all program features will be available.
There are still few applications that support demo mode, but the popularity of Instant Apps is growing, and well-known developers are starting to implement the function into their products. It is easy to find out which software can be preliminarily evaluated using the option – on its page, in addition to the download button, there is a button “Try”.
How to remove or disable
As mentioned above, Instant Apps is constantly being updated, which, on the one hand, is even good, but not always to the liking of users. Not everyone likes that the software doesn’t ask the owner of the device if he needs an update or not. You won’t be able to set a ban on automatic updates, as well as uninstall the service, but you can turn off Instant Apps on your phone. The procedure will be the opposite of activating the function:
- Go to the device settings;
- Choose Google;
- In the “Applications with instant launch” column, deactivate the function by dragging the slider to the off position.
If you want to completely get rid of Instant Apps, as is the case with other standard Google services, for this you need root rights. Only when you open root access, you get the opportunity to remove any system components at your discretion.
Instant Launch Apps
If you want to use the option, but do not know where to find software that supports Instant Apps, take a look at the Google Play store. There has already appeared a new special section “Instant launch”, which contains applications that have this function. Users of devices running on Android Marshmallow and newer versions will be able to evaluate the software without downloading it to the device’s memory. By the way, the tool is very useful if you have any doubts about buying paid software, since the demo version will allow you to understand whether it is worth spending money on the application. So, you can save not only the time and resources of the device, but also your own money.
The advantages of using the technology far outweigh the disadvantages, and more and more developers are integrating the tool into their products, so the list of software in the quick launch section of the app store will soon grow significantly.