Google Play Store feature suggests unused apps to uninstall from Android phones

By Aaron Mamiit Published March 25, 2022

A new Google Play Store feature is suggesting a list of unused apps that people may want to uninstall from their Android devices to free up some space.

Downloading and installing apps to Android smartphones through the Google Play Store is easy, so it is understandable if people accumulate apps that they do not regularly use.

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Fortunately, a new feature that was first spotted by Netherlands-based Android World will help people manage these unused apps. A Google Play Store alert will appear in the notification tray to tell people that they can “remove unused apps for extra storage,” and tapping on the alert will bring up a list of apps that have not been opened in a while.

Each app on the list comes with a description, as well as information on when it was last launched. From there, the apps that are fine to be uninstalled may be selected, with the Google Play Store then summarizing the space that was freed up in the process.

The feature will help in removing the clutter in Android devices, but it remains unclear if it has started rolling out worldwide. It is also unknown how long an app must go unused before it appears in the list of suggestions.

The new feature goes hand in hand with the Google I/O 2019 announcement by product lead Kobi Glick that there will be a new app and game review calibration for the Google Play Store by August. In the updated approach, app reviews will be designed to highlight the more recent and relevant ones, with Google Play Store ratings to be recalculated to give more weight to the most recent ratings.

The ratings adjustment will be in conjunction with a suggested replies feature that will make it easier for developers to respond to reviews left by people on the Google Play Store. Developers who would want to respond to a comment or question will be given three suggested replies, based on the content of the review. Developers will be able to choose between the three suggestions, customize them before sending them out, or create an entirely news response.

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