Google is finally discontinuing Android Instant Apps, a rarely used feature that allows users to try out new apps before installing the full version, Android Authority reports.

First rolled out in 2017, the feature allowed Android users to get fast access to apps that piqued their interest via the Google Play store—without mobile data–draining download times or storage-sucking bloat. Google actively pitched the feature to the mobile gaming industry shortly after it rolled out, telling developers how it could help onboard new players put off by lengthy download times.

However, for the feature to work in the first place, developers needed to get on board. Developers had to get their apps down to a measly 15MB for the feature to work—not an easy task in the world of modern apps, even for a slimmed-down experience.

The feature never really picked up much mainstream attention, though apps like budget retailer Wish and video streaming platform Vimeo did at one point roll out Instant Apps integrations, Android Authority notes.

But it’s not quite gone yet. Instant App support will remain in place on the Google Play Store until December 2025, after which all Google Play Instant APIs will no longer work.

If, for whatever reason, you’d like to try out the feature while it still exists, there aren’t a great number of eligible apps left. But if you’re that curious, Finnish evening newspaper Ilta-Sanomat still provides an Android Instant Apps version on the Play Store.

This isn’t the only Google Play feature from way back in 2016 that Google has axed this year. The company began sunsetting Google Assistant back in March, after almost a decade, citing its shift in focus toward generative AI and Google Gemini (but only if your smartphone meets the necessary hardware requirements.)

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About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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