Google is Killing Android Instant Apps (androidauthority.com)

(Friday June 13, 2025 @11:22AM (msmash) from the closer-look dept.)

Reference: 0178039001
News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/06/13/1359240/google-is-killing-android-instant-apps
Source link: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-killing-android-instant-apps-3567211/

Google will [1]discontinue its Android Instant Apps feature in December 2025, ending a nearly decade-long experiment that allowed users to try portions of mobile apps without installing them. The feature, rolled out in early 2017, enabled developers to create lightweight app versions under 15 megabytes that could run temporarily on users' devices when they tapped specific links.

The feature struggled with low developer uptake due to the technical complexity of creating these stripped-down app versions.

[1] https://www.androidauthority.com/google-killing-android-instant-apps-3567211/

I can see why this failed (Score:1)

by registrations_suck ( 1075251 )

Only having part of an app? Hard to see what I would need that for.

I never even heard about these. (Score:2)

by supabeast! ( 84658 )

I was using Android from 2015 to this January and I never even heard of instant apps.

Google kills 99% of their (Score:2)

by Tablizer ( 95088 )

products, it's not news. Anybody who relies on Google for a stable platform needs their head examined.

Move Fast And Break Customers...while being evil.

Hallelujah! (Score:2)

by swillden ( 191260 )

Instant apps created a lot of complexity and awkwardness in the Android platform. It has consistently been painful to deal with and work around, and been especially challenging for the security team, for a feature with very little user or developer interest. Killing it is definitely the right call.

Is this different than the "playable games" on iOS (Score:2)

by Maury Markowitz ( 452832 )

Does anyone know the technical details here? I see "playable ads" in most games on iOS, and it sounds like this was similar. I assume these ads are also playable on Android, but maybe using some other tech?