Shrinking APKs, Growing Installs
Article Summary
Sam Tolomei from Google Play reveals a brutal truth: every 6MB you add to your Android app kills 1% of potential installs. And in emerging markets, the impact is even worse.
Google analyzed install conversion data across millions of apps to understand how APK size affects user behavior. The findings show a clear correlation between app size and download completion rates, with dramatic differences between developed and emerging markets where data costs and wifi access vary significantly.
Key Takeaways
- Every 6MB increase in APK size reduces install conversion rate by 1%
- 10MB apps have 30% higher download completion than 100MB apps
- In emerging markets, 10MB reduction boosts installs by 2.5%
- Over 50% of Indian and Indonesian users have no wifi access
- Average app size has quintupled since Android Marketplace launched in 2012
Critical Insight
APK size directly impacts your bottom line: a 10MB reduction for an app with 10,000 monthly installs in India could generate 1,140 additional installs per month.
