Android 12 could get an app hibernation feature (Updated: More details)
Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
- A new app hibernation feature could be available for a future version of Android.
- The feature aims to optimize unused apps for storage, but little is known about it.
Update: January 19, 2021 (1:23 AM ET): Apparently we know a little more about an upcoming app hibernation feature that was recently added to the Android open source project. XDA developer editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman Reports an app’s cache will be cleared when it is put to app hibernation.
There is no word on whether further measures to clear the memory are part of the hibernation function, e.g. B. compressing a dormant app. However, clearing the cache sounds like a good start, especially since some app caches can balloon to easily free up more space than the app itself.
Original article: Jan 12, 2021 (5:57 AM ET): We’re almost due for the Android 12 Developer Preview if last year’s timeline isn’t over. There’s no official word on user-related features for the new Android update, but it looks like Google is working on a mysterious feature.
XDA developer reports that several code changes have been submitted to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), whereby these changes refer to a so-called “App Hibernation” function.
“A system service that manages the status of the app hibernation. A status in which apps can enter means that they are not actively used and can be optimized for storage,” read an excerpt from a reference.
What should you expect
There’s no word on how exactly this feature works and what app hibernation actually means besides memory optimization. It’s also unclear whether the system will handle app hibernation automatically or whether users can choose apps to hibernate.
Some Android OEMs ask you to uninstall unused apps as part of the system optimization feature. We have also noticed that some manufacturers offer per-app performance-related features so you can prevent certain apps from starting / running in the background. Chances are, apps that are asleep are somehow compressed or shrunk (e.g., they behave more like a web app).
We have seen before that Google is only working on functions in AOSP so that they will no longer be displayed in a subsequent Android version (e.g. desktop mode). Hence, there is no guarantee that app hibernation will be set on Android 12. We’ll definitely keep an eye out for this feature, however, when the Android 12 Developers Preview goes live.
