How to Archive Android Apps Without Losing Their Data

Running low on Android storage does not always mean you have to permanently delete apps.

On supported Android devices, app archiving removes the installed software, permissions, temporary files, and notifications while keeping the app icon and its data. If you need the app again, you can reinstall it from the icon.

That makes archiving useful for an app you rarely use but do not necessarily want to erase.

Archive an app manually

Google says some manual archiving features require Android 15 or later, and availability can also depend on the device.

Open Settings > Apps, choose the app, and look for Archive.

After Android archives it, its icon remains but appears faded with an archive symbol. Tapping that icon can reinstall the app, provided the appropriate app store remains installed and the app is still available for download.

Let Android handle unused apps automatically

Google Play also provides automatic archiving.

Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile picture, then choose Settings > General. Look for Automatically archive apps.

When enabled, Google Play can archive apps you do not use often when additional storage is needed.

If there is an app you specifically do not want automatically archived, Android also provides a per-app control on supported devices. Open Settings > Apps, select the app, and turn off Manage app if unused.

Menu names can differ somewhat between phone manufacturers and Android versions.

Archiving is not the same as clearing an app's storage

This distinction matters.

Google describes Clear cache as removing temporary information. Clear storage, by contrast, permanently deletes an app's stored data.

Do not use Clear storage simply because you are trying to recover a little space unless you understand what that particular app will lose.

Archiving is intended to be the more reversible option.

One limitation worth remembering

An archived app is not a complete independent backup of that application.

Restoring it normally requires downloading the software again. If an app disappears from the app store, restoring it may therefore not work as expected.

For an app containing important information, make sure that information is backed up or synchronized appropriately rather than assuming archiving protects it forever.

Sources and Further Reading

Google Android Help: Archive unused apps on Android — https://support.google.com/android/answer/15523443?hl=en