Instant Apps were a Google technology that made it possible to use an Android app without installing it first. The user could open a particular part of the app directly from a link, from a search or via a “Try now” button in Google Play, and only the part of the app that was needed was downloaded to the device. The technology was presented in 2016 and was later renamed Google Play Instant.
Instant Apps were based on a modular division of the app, in which a small, instant-enabled module could be downloaded from Google Play and run immediately without a normal installation. This made it quick to try a game, complete a purchase or view particular content, but the instant part had a size limit and restricted access to certain permissions and features. Google has shut down Google Play Instant: from December 2025, Instant Apps can no longer be published via Google Play, and the associated APIs no longer work. The technology is therefore relevant today mainly as background for alternatives such as Android App Links, progressive web apps and Apple’s App Clips.
Instant Apps were a Google technology that made it possible to use an Android app without installing it first. The user could open a small part of the app directly from a link, a search or a “Try now” button in Google Play, which made it quick to try a game, carry out a particular task or view content. Google has shut down Google Play Instant: from December 2025, Instant Apps can no longer be published via Google Play, and the associated APIs no longer work. Alternatives used today are Android App Links, progressive web apps and App Clips on iOS.
More about Instant Apps
Instant Apps were a Google technology that enabled Android users to use an app without downloading and installing it in full. The technology was presented at Google I/O in 2016 and later became part of Google Play under the name Google Play Instant. The aim was to lower the barrier to trying an app by letting the user jump directly into a particular feature from a link, a search or Google Play.
Technically, Instant Apps were based on a modular architecture in which the app’s features were divided into smaller modules. An instant-enabled module could be downloaded from Google Play and run immediately without a normal installation, while the rest of the app was only downloaded if the user chose to install the full version. In later years, instant experiences were published as part of an Android App Bundle together with the app’s other modules, and the instant part had to stay under a fixed size limit. For security reasons, Instant Apps ran with restricted rights and did not have access to all the permissions and background features that an installed app can use.
Instant Apps were typically used in three scenarios:
Try before installing: Via a “Try now” button in Google Play or Google Play Games, the user could try a game or an app before deciding whether to install it, for example by playing the first levels of a game.
Direct access from a link: A link on a website, in an advert or in search results could open a particular screen in the app, such as a product page in a shopping app, without the user having to install the app first.
Well-defined tasks: Instant Apps were suited to short, well-defined tasks such as completing a purchase, watching a video or reading particular content, where a full installation would be an unnecessary barrier.
The strength of Instant Apps was the combination of a native app experience with access similar to opening a website. The user saved time and storage space, and developers could use the instant experience to show the app’s value and thereby increase the number of installations. The weaknesses included the size limit, the restricted rights and the extra work of modularising the app.
Google has shut down Google Play Instant. From December 2025, Instant Apps can no longer be published via Google Play, the Instant APIs in Google Play services no longer work, and Play no longer delivers Instant Apps to users in any way. Google explains the decision with feedback from developers and the ongoing improvements to the ecosystem since Google Play Instant was introduced.
Instead, Google refers to normal app installations combined with deep links that take the user directly to the relevant feature, for example via Android App Links. For experiences that must be usable entirely without installation, progressive web apps are an obvious alternative, and on iOS the idea lives on in Apple’s App Clips. Instant Apps are therefore mainly of interest today as an example of how the barrier to trying an app can be lowered.
Frequently asked questions about Instant Apps
What were Instant Apps, and how did they differ from traditional apps?
Instant Apps were a Google technology that enabled Android users to use an app without first downloading and installing the full version. An Instant App was typically launched when the user tapped a link associated with the app or a “Try now” button in Google Play, after which a small part of the app was downloaded and opened immediately.
Instant Apps were modular, which meant that only the necessary parts of the app were downloaded. This reduced the time and amount of data needed to start the app and made Instant Apps well suited to quick interactions where the user only needed a particular feature or piece of information.
Traditional apps require a full installation and take up storage space on the device, but in return they have access to all the permissions and features the platform offers. Instant Apps saved more space and were easier to try, but had a size limit and restricted rights. Many developers therefore used them as a taster intended to persuade the user to install the full app.
Google has shut down Google Play Instant. From December 2025, Instant Apps can no longer be published via Google Play, the Instant APIs in Google Play services no longer work, and Play no longer delivers Instant Apps to users. The description above therefore explains how the technology worked.
How were apps adapted to support Instant Apps?
To support Google Play Instant, the app had to be divided into modules so that a small part could be downloaded and run immediately without installation. In later years, this was done by publishing the app as an Android App Bundle with an instant-enabled module that had to stay under a fixed size limit.
Developers could also associate web addresses via Android App Links so that a link could open the instant experience directly. Features requiring particular permissions or background work were restricted. Google has since shut down Google Play Instant: from December 2025, Instant Apps can no longer be published via Google Play, and the associated APIs no longer work. New projects should therefore use alternatives such as Android App Links to the installed app or progressive web apps.
What advantages did Instant Apps offer for both users and developers?
Instant Apps offered a number of advantages for both users and developers by combining three key properties:
- Immediate access without installation: Users could access the app’s features without downloading and installing the whole app. This lowered the barrier to trying new apps, saved time and storage space and made it easier to decide whether to install the full version.
- A direct route to the relevant content: Users could jump directly into a particular feature from a website, a search, a shared link or Google Play. Developers could thereby offer a native app experience for concrete user scenarios without requiring a full installation first.
- Increased reach and more installations: For developers, Instant Apps were a way of reaching users who would otherwise not have installed the app. Once users had tried the app, the chance that they would choose to install the full version increased. As the instant part was downloaded from Google Play, the user also got the current version without having to update manually.
The combination of immediate access, direct access to content and increased reach made Instant Apps attractive both to users who wanted quick access to app features and to developers who wanted more installations and more engagement.
The advantages are mainly of historical interest on Android today, as Google Play Instant has been shut down from December 2025. Similar advantages can instead be achieved with Android App Links to the installed app, progressive web apps or App Clips on iOS.
How did Instant Apps affect the user experience compared with fully installed apps?
Instant Apps affected the user experience in several ways compared with fully installed apps:
- Immediate access: Users could use the app’s features without downloading and installing the whole app. This reduced waiting time and made it easier to try new apps without commitment.
- Space saving: As Instant Apps did not require a full installation, they took up little storage space, and the system could clear them away again. This was a particular advantage for users with limited storage capacity.
- Always the current version: The instant part was downloaded from Google Play when it was opened, so users did not have to keep it up to date themselves.
- Fewer barriers: By removing the installation step, Instant Apps could increase engagement, because users could go directly to the feature they needed.
- Better conversion: For developers, Instant Apps could lead to more installations, as users experienced the app’s value straight away.
- Limitations: Instant Apps had a size limit and restricted access to certain permissions and background features, so they could not offer everything an installed app can.
Overall, Instant Apps provided a faster and easier first experience than a fully installed app, while the installed app remained necessary for full functionality and long-term use.
These advantages are no longer available via Google Play, because Google Play Instant has been shut down from December 2025. Developers who want to provide a similar experience can instead send users directly to the right screen in the installed app via App Links or offer a web version of the feature.
What was the difference between Instant Apps and App Clips?
Instant Apps, later renamed Google Play Instant, and App Clips have had the same purpose: letting the user use part of an app without installing the full app first. Instant Apps were Google’s solution for Android, while App Clips are Apple’s solution for iOS.
Both are typically opened from a link, and both have a size limit for the part that is downloaded. App Clips can also be launched from NFC tags, QR codes and special App Clip Codes and are closely linked to Apple Pay and Sign in with Apple. The most important difference today is that Google has shut down Google Play Instant from December 2025, while App Clips remain part of iOS.
What can developers use instead of Instant Apps?
As Google Play Instant has been shut down from December 2025, Instant Apps can no longer be used to give Android users access to an app without installation. Google instead recommends that developers send users on to the regular app or game and use deep links to take them directly to a particular feature or piece of content where relevant.
In practice, this means that Android App Links become a central tool: a link on a website, in an advert or in an email opens the installed app on the right screen, and if the app is not installed, the user can be sent to the app’s page in Google Play or to a web version. For experiences that must be usable entirely without installation, a progressive web app is often the best alternative, because it runs in the browser and can be added to the home screen. On iOS, App Clips remain Apple’s solution for small, instant app experiences.
To maintain reach, it is also important to make the installation itself as easy as possible, for example with a small app size, a clear store listing and an onboarding that quickly shows the app’s value.
Instant Apps for dummies
Instant Apps were a Google technology that made it possible to use an app on an Android phone without downloading and installing it first. Imagine seeing an exciting app but being unsure whether to keep it on the phone. With Instant Apps, a link or “Try now” in Google Play could be tapped to try a small part of the app straight away, almost like opening a website. This made it easy and quick to test new apps before deciding. However, Google shut down Instant Apps from December 2025, so today the app has to be installed, a web version used or, on the iPhone, Apple’s App Clips used instead.
