Better to delete-then-reinstall app instead of update?

[modernaire]

Hi,

I have used quite a bit of space on my phone, and down to about 1GB. Running KitKat, no sdcard.

My question is as follows, certain apps seem to have large updates. Skype updates for example can be around 50MB. I noticed that when updating, it does not override the original app, so it adds on to whatever space the original app was taking up.

If you're low on space, is it better to delete-then-reinstall, since you're never piling on additional megabytes then? Or will the currently updated app be even larger (say a total of 80 megabytes which includes the 50MB update assuming you kept the app), therefore nullifying any saved space?

 

[argedion]

yeah apps have gotten quite hungry for space I still freak out when I see an app that is over 10meg for a phone. I mean why does this need to be so big on a small device? Its not an official computer yet.

However to answer your question I really think your going through your elbow to get to your knee. Uninstalling then reinstalling really isn't going to save you any space. You may gain a little but probably not enough to have made it worth it.

 

[hiredgun]

One advantage to uninstalling first that I have found is that if the phone says you don't have enough room for the update, first getting rid of the older version will give you the space you need to install an update!

 

[lunatic59]

There are pro's and con's. The pro is that you do save a little space and if you are running your device with minimal space, it might mean the difference of having or not having the latest version of an app. The con is that you lose the ability to roll back the app in case the new version is buggy or you simply don't like it. We see questions every day about where can version 1.7 be found because 1.8 sucks. The problem is that the play store only makes the latest version available, and without a backup of the old version (which takes more space than the update) you are stuck.

In any case, this is simply a stop-gap until you get the the point where you are out of space. Then you need to figure something else out.