How To Keep App Data When Uninstalling an App on Android is a straightforward process, all you need is to read this article to the end.
Uninstalling an app on Android was a simple, unconditional process from the start. All you had to do was hit the “Uninstall” icon, and the app and its data and cache no longer existed.
There was no way to get the app data back and to reinstall; you had to do it again. While this “full” removal wasn’t all that difficult for most, some wanted a way to save user data before the app was gone forever, just like Windows suggests when uninstalling an application.
With Android 10, Google finally introduced the stealth feature that allows users to keep their data before uninstalling it. Today we’re going to cover everything that has to do with it.
How do I delete an application but keep its data on Android 10?
No additional steps are required here, and any Android 10 user should be able to get the results they want by following the steps mentioned. First, go to Settings and tap on “Applications”. You will then see the “Uninstall” icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap on it, and you will see a pop-up that allows you to uninstall an app but “Keep xxxMB app data”. Check the box and press, OK. The application would be uninstalled, but the data would be stored securely.
What Happens if you Keep App Data When Uninstalling on Android?
If you uninstall an app but keep its data, you can expect a smoother experience by reinstalling the app. For example, if you keep app data for a game, you’re essentially keeping your saved games. The next time you reinstall the app, the game will load your previous save instead of asking you to start over.
Why are you not getting the option to save app data when uninstalling?
Here are a few reasons why:
Your Android operating system is not supported
As mentioned in the previous section, this feature is currently only available for Android 10 systems. However, unless you are running the latest version of Android, you cannot uninstall an app to keep your backup. With Android Pie or an earlier system, developers couldn’t cook in functions, so users had to put their precious saved games down and start over the next time.
The app does not support the function.
Even if you are using Android 10, there may be situations where the app you are trying to uninstall does not allow you to keep the app data. In these cases, all you have to do is assume that the app developers didn’t have the scope or didn’t think it necessary to provide the nifty details.
How do some apps save data even though local files are deleted?
While the ability for users to save app data is a surefire way to gain their trust and reassurance, some developers seem to bypass the feature entirely and have their apps save important data on more secured storage space. Yes, we are talking about cloud storage here.
With cloud storage, developers can get virtually the same results they want: they get secure access to your stored files, personalized profile data, and more. More and more apps are moving all data to cloud storage. This is the main reason we didn’t see local data persistence.
While cloud storage is much more convenient, it doesn’t work as expected when the app is processing a large amount of data. Depending on the Internet connection, downloading and configuring data may take some time.
How do I keep app data on Android 9 and earlier versions of Android?
If you have a system other than Android 10, it will be a little harder to keep the app data while you are uninstalling it. You need to use the Android Package Manager (PM) to get the job done.
The aim is to ask the project manager not to delete their local files (application data) and keep them safe for later use. To do this, you will need some elements and follow a few steps.
Step 1: Download the SDK Platform Tools
Before using Android Debug Bridge or ADB to get your app data, you need to download and extract the SDK platform tools. Click this link to download the latest version of the SDK tools. Then extract the Platform Tools folder to an easily accessible location. Here we have chosen our central unit, “C”.
Step 2: Enable USB debugging on mobile devices
When you’ve removed the tools from the SDK platform, turn back to your Android system. To make changes to the Android system externally, you have to enable USB debugging. Unfortunately, USB debugging is hidden behind “Developer Options”, which is also a secret menu item hidden behind “Version Number”.
To enable Developer Options, go to Settings, About Phone, Software Info and tap the build number seven times.
As soon as this is done, the “Developer Options” will be activated.
Now go to “Developer Options” and click the “USB Debugging” button.
Step 3: Connect to PC and keep application data.
Before making a connection between your phone and your PC, it is important to know the file’s package name to be uninstalled other than the application data. The easiest way to identify the package name is to go to the Play Store website, search for the app, and copy the bit after “id =”. When you’re done, keep it in a safe place.
Now connect your device to the PC with a USB cable and allow the required authorizations. Then launch Command Prompt on your computer and enter the following command.
cd C:\platform-tools
Once the directory is set to Platform Tools, run the following command to get a connected device list. Your phone should be listed here. If not, check your cable and reconnect it.
adb devices
Now you need to go into the shell to explore the package manager (PM). Enter the following command to access the shell:
adb devices
Then ask the PM to list all the packages installed on your phone using the following command:
pm list packages
To uninstall a package, enter the command listed below. Of course, replace “ABCD” with the name of the package you want to uninstall. The string “-k” instructs PM to delete the application without deleting its data.
pm uninstall -k com.ABCD
Once the process has been completed, a small “Success” recruitment message will appear on your screen.