How to archive unused apps on Android
2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
Open Settings, tap Apps, tap the app and tap Archive. Android removes the app itself but keeps its data and its icon, which turns grey. Tap the icon to install the app again, with everything where you left it.
Archiving is the middle way between keeping and uninstalling an app. It frees the storage the app takes up, but keeps your account, settings and documents in it. Some of it needs Android 15 or later.
Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.
Step by step
Open Settings and tap Apps
Tap See all apps if the app is not shown straight away.
Tap the app
The App info page opens.
Tap Archive
Android removes the app's software, permissions and temporary files and stops its notifications. The icon stays on the Home screen, dimmed and marked with an archive symbol.
Bring the app back
Tap the dimmed icon. The app downloads again and opens with your data. You can also restore it from its App info page in Settings or from its page in the Play Store.
Stop an app from being archived automatically
Android and the Play Store can archive apps you have not used for a long time. To exclude an app, open its App info page and switch off Manage app if unused.
Good to know
Restoring needs an internet connection and enough free storage for the app.
An app can only be restored while it is still offered in the store. For apps you depend on, switch off Manage app if unused.
More ways to make room: how to free up storage on an Android phone. To remove an app completely: how to uninstall apps on Android.
In short: Settings, Apps, the app, Archive. Tap the grey icon to restore it.
- Google Play Help: Archive unused apps on Android
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.