Android apps can now be twice as big

Google’s is giving developers a little more breathing room for their apps. Android APK files – the file extension for downloaded apps – can now be up to 100MB on the Play Store, up from a previous 50MB:

To support the growing number of developers who are building richer apps and games on Google Play, we are increasing theAPK file size limit to 100MB from 50MB. This means developers can publish APKs up to 100MB in size, and users will see a warning only when the app exceeds the 100MB quota and makes use of Expansion Files.

The new files size will come in handy for developers as devices become more powerful and use denser screens (which require higher resolution graphics), and come with more storage.

It’s worth noting that although APK files downloaded from the Play Store were limited to 50MB, apps sometimes downloaded extra files to provide full functionality once installed. This was often the case with games whose supporting textures, music and video content simply couldn’t fit into 50MB.

However, Google is also quick to point out that even though you can make your apps bigger, you shouldn’t always do so, as it’s a bandwidth burden on places with slow data connectivity or users with data caps. Increased file size could also mean slower performance or longer instal times.

Nonetheless, we’re sure the change will be welcomed by many developers. The file size change is effective today, so you can expect some larger apps to pop up on the Play Store soon.

➤ Support for 100MB APKs on Google Play [Android Developers Blog]