Built into the core of Android 12+, Play as you Download allows your users to get into the experience quickly after a small download while remaining assets are fetched in the background. To make this happen, Google Play analyzes crowdsourced first use file system access patterns and automatically identifies assets to optimize.
Prepare your app
Even with the Play as you Download feature enabled, your users only receive the benefit once these prerequisites are met:
- App is distributed using the Android App Bundle format
- App has been updated to the current ads SDKs (if applicable)
- App category "game" selected in the Play Console
- App has enough crowdsourced information about first use experiences
- App has first-use experiences that are suitable for the feature
Learn more about how to optimize your app for Play as you Download.
Enable your app
If you're using the Android App Bundle format and current ads SDKs, and you have categorized your app correctly, then you've done the work necessary to enable Play as you Download. By default, all game category apps are enabled. If you do not wish to take advantage of this benefit, you can opt-out via the Play as you Download tab on the "Advanced settings" page of the Play Console.
Improve your results
Learn more about how to optimize your app for Play as you Download.