Google Play Store Introduces App Archiving and Floating Download Progress Bubble

Google Play System Updates are usually not life-altering, but the latest one comes with two new features to improve the user experience. App archiving is a convenient way to save storage space on budget phones, while the floating download progress bubble allows users to track the progress of an app download in real-time.

App archiving is a feature that allows users to archive apps on their devices to save storage space. This is particularly useful for budget phones that have limited storage capacity. Once an app is archived, it won't be visible in the app drawer and won't be updated, but it can be restored at any time. 

Google is also introducing a floating pill-shaped bubble to show users the download progress of an app. This bubble can be repositioned at will and shows the percentage progress alongside a circular progress bar around the icon of the app. The bubble can be dismissed by dragging it to the bottom.

The Play Store is also developing a much-needed floating app download progress indicator. There are now three ways to track the progress of an app download that is already underway. Users can stay on the app’s listing page to stare at the circular progress bar, check on the progress in the notification shade, or visit the Pending downloads page under the Manage apps and device menu.