At its Playtime conference in Berlin, Google introduced the Android App Bundle, a new publishing format which will help developers slim down their app offerings.

Matt Henderson, a product manager for Google Play, noted in a blog post “smaller apps have higher conversion rates”, adding the company’s research shows “app size is a leading motivator in driving uninstalls”. He said Android App Bundle’s modularisation tool will allow developers to “deliver features on demand, instead of at install time” to help reduce the size of their app.

The company is also working to make it easier to build instant apps, which let users try out apps without downloading them, he added.

“We’re now using the Android App Bundle to solve one of the primary pain points of building instant apps. Previously, you needed to publish both an instant app and an installable app. Now, you don’t have to maintain separate code… The unified app bundle is the future of instant app experiences.”

Google also debuted other new tools, including one that will provide developers with “more actionable insights” so they can debug more effectively and allow them to prompt users to update without leaving the app.