App installations are set to become noticeably faster with the release of Android 16. Google is implementing a specialized technology designed to streamline the installation process while reducing the workload on smartphones. This improvement not only speeds up the user experience but also enhances overall device efficiency. Devices with lower memory and processing power are expected to benefit the most from these changes, making app installations smoother and more accessible across a wider range of Android phones. Anyone using a current Android smartphone to download and install an app from the Google Play Store will generally encounter only short wait times. However, problems can arise, especially with older devices and particularly large apps . In these cases , the wait time increases due to the lower processor performance. And Google is planning an innovation with Android 16 to address precisely this situation.
“Android 16 redefines speed — apps install in a blink.”
The typical app installation time on Android devices can vary depending on factors such as app size, device performance, and network speed. On average, most apps take between 10 to 30 seconds to install once downloaded. Larger apps, such as games or complex software exceeding 100MB, may take up to a few minutes. Devices with higher RAM and faster processors tend to install apps more quickly, while older or budget smartphones may experience slower installation times. Android 16 aims to improve these times across all device types through optimized installation processes.
As Android Authority reports, Google wants to eliminate the dependence on processor performance or the speed of the installed memory. To achieve this, the company is relying on cloud compilation with Android 16. Typically, when installing an Android app, the APK is first loaded into a tool called dex2oat. This Android runtime tool generates so-called application artifacts from the compiled APK code. These artifacts ensure that applications load faster on Android. If the APK file is particularly large and therefore contains a lot of code, it can take time on older Android processors to generate all the application artifacts. To ease the load on Android smartphones, Google outsources this process to the cloud. Instead of running dex2oat during installation, the required application artifacts are simply downloaded directly from the Google Play Store.
To improve app installation speeds, Android 16 will introduce a new file format called SDM, which stands for Secure Dex Metadata. This format allows users to download pre-compiled, ready-to-install files, significantly reducing the time it takes to install apps. However, since these files are larger in size, download times may increase, particularly for users with slower internet connections. As a result, Android Authority suggests that this feature might initially be rolled out as an optional setting. In cases where internet speed is limited, the traditional installation method could still be faster, even on lower-end devices.
The actual impact of SDM on installation speed and download size is still uncertain. While cloud compilation—the backbone of this feature—is already present in the beta version of Android 16, it’s not yet available to users. Google still needs to implement key updates to the Play Store infrastructure to support the new format and make SDM files accessible for app installations.
