Google has decided to expand the size limit for APK files on Google Play. The announcement came yesterday as Google announced that the APK file size limit has doubled, going from 50MB to 100MB instead. This is the second or third time Google has done this since the inception of the Google Play store.
The bigger file size allows developers a lot more room to do things with their games and the original APK file users download off of Google Play. A game that sits at 1GB in size, for example, would mean a developer would have to squeeze a bunch of coding into the initial APK file you download, which was 50MB, and then you download the rest (through the expansion file feature) once that initial APK file is installed.
This means users download anything bigger than 100MB will now get the pop-up warning about downloading the rest through WiFi if they so choose. Like always, there are some things developers should keep in mind, which Google has also listed in their announcement:
– Mobile data connectivity: Users around the world have varying mobile data connectivity speeds. Particularly in developing countries, many people are coming online with connections slower than those of users in countries like the U.S. and Japan. Users on a slow connection are less likely to install an app or game that is going to take a long time to download.
– Mobile data caps: Many mobile networks around the world give users a limited number of MB that they can download each month without incurring additional charges. Users are often wary of downloading large files for fear of exceeding their limits.
– App performance: Mobile devices have limited RAM and storage space. The larger your app or game, the slower it may run, particularly on older devices.
– Install time: People want to start using your app or game as quickly as possible after tapping the install button. Longer wait times increase the risk they’ll give up.
This new file size limit increase is already available for developers to take advantage of. You’ll still need to use the Expansion Files feature for anything over 100MB in size though.
Source: Android Developers Blog
