Google to End Android Instant Apps by December 2025 Due to Low Usage

Google is set to discontinue Android Instant Apps by the end of 2025. They were first introduced in 2016 and made available to users in early 2017. Android Instant Apps let users try out parts of an app without fully installing it.

The service worked by running a lightweight version of an app when a user tapped a link. The Play Store checked if an instant app was available and then launched it temporarily.

The thing is, Android Instant Apps struggled to gain traction among developers, and I am assuming even among the users. I personally can't remember using one, ever. To take part, developers had to create a special instant-enabled version of their app that was under 15MB, which proved difficult for apps with large files or complex features, as reported by Android Authority. And now, with much faster internet and higher storage, the already not-so-famous format is of no use.

Confirmation of the shutdown comes from a notice in the latest Android Studio canary build:

Instant Apps support will be removed by Google Play in December 2025. Publishing and all Google Play Instant APIs will no longer work. Tooling support will be removed in Android Studio Otter Feature Drop.

Google says that low usage and engagement are the main reasons for ending Instant Apps.