help ... what is .apk vs .obb ( my apps take 15+GB of space)

[InGearX]

hmmm all apps that i got i see take up 2x space (total about 15GB on Note 3)

some in .apk format..

others in .obb

what is the difference?

why?

this is not efficent

is this normal .. attached

please help

thank you..

UPDATE:

i was hoping to delete .apk and regain 2x space

thinking my backup app made them..

can you run the DiskUsage app .. that I have screenshot posted off .. and tell if it is same case for you .. that you have .apk and .obb
(or just look with explorer)

but best to post a screenshot

its cool app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage

thanks .. will await

 

[girolez]

Hi

obb is "opaque binary blob" which is a large data file, usually only readable by its associated app. Thay are often used for ongoing games data. .apk are the android package files containing the application itself. Before it is installed the .apk may also contain the data which is written as an obb for later use. I suspect this is the case with wikipedia. In theory I think you can delete the apk (but not the obb) and the app will still work (a .apk is like a zip file which contains all the elements of an application before installation)

Roger

 

[codesplice]

Good explanation of the OBBs - I can never remember what they stand for!

If you ever see an app which requires an additional data download (often big games do this), it was likely downloading the .obb. That would hold large dictionary database files, game map files, graphics files, and other external things that the app or game needs to operate.

In theory I think you can delete the apk (but not the obb) and the app will still work (a .apk is like a zip file which contains all the elements of an application before installation)

I'm afraid that's incorrect. Android extracts a lot of the package contents into other formats and files, but there's also a lot that remains of value within the package - particularly when using the Dalvik runtime, which actually compiles the application's bytecode when you launch it (as opposed to ART, which compiles that bytecode when the application is installed - which is why installing applications on ART is slower, but launching them is quicker).

I just tested (on Dalvik) to confirm - manually deleting an application's .apk file didn't remove the application in the Applications list, but trying to launch it caused an immediate Force Close. After rebooting, the application was removed from the Applications list as well.

I haven't tested on ART but I imagine the result would still be the same.

Moral of the story: don't delete APKs unless you want to delete the app

 

[InGearX]

thanks

ohhhh sucks ...
i wad hoping to delete .apk and regain 2x space

can you run the DiskUsage app .. that I have screenshot posted off .. and tell if it is same case for you .. that you have .apk and .obb (or just look with explorer)
but best to post a screenshot

but its cool app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.diskusage

thanks .. will await

 

[codesplice]

Yep, I've got ~2.8GB tied up in obb as well:



It looks like the Wiki Encyclopedia app is one of your largest offenders - ~3.7GB in an APK is kind of nuts. Does that store all of Wikipedia locally or something?

 

[InGearX]

Yep, I've got ~2.8GB tied up in obb as well:



It looks like the Wiki Encyclopedia app is one of your largest offenders - ~3.7GB in an APK is kind of nuts. Does that store all of Wikipedia locally or something?

yea

its a limited offline version of wikipedia

BUT WTF in total instad of 4GB it's 8GB !!! what is wrong?!

 

[codesplice]

To respond to your PM:

mate so per this http://androidforums.com/android-ap...what-apk-vs-obb-my-apps-take-15-gb-space.html

all apps take 2x space!??

.apk and .obb?

am I getting it correctly?

that's crazy!

where is the logic in that?

on a mobile device where each MB is limited..

just insane .. with such good OS .. even Windows Me doesn't do that!!

(from what I heard that's like iTunes for mp3s for each mp3 it creates another copy!! taking 2x space !!)

It's not really 2x space, it's just storing different data in two locations and two ways. If it wasn't split between APK and OBB, the APK itself would have to be as large as the APK+OBB combined.

On a related note, is there a particular reason you need to have so much of Wikipedia available offline? Are you that routinely without any data access and need to have access to all of Wikipedia? For my money, using the official Wikipedia app is a much better use of my storage:

 

[zuben el genub]

Thank you. I have a lot of those in my reference apps. Where do the OBB files exist?
Are they in main memory or do they use the internal SD card?

 

[voidci]

Assuming you've got an sdcard just download folder mount and look for Wikipedia in the app analyzer, pair it, then mount it by tapping the white pin

 

[codesplice]

Thank you. I have a lot of those in my reference apps. Where do the OBB files exist?
Are they in main memory or do they use the internal SD card?

You can use the Disk Usage app to check for yourself, but in both InGearX and my screenshots the OBBs show up on the "media" partition - which would be the internal SD card in most cases. :thumbup:

 

[InGearX]

To respond to your PM:



It's not really 2x space, it's just storing different data in two locations and two ways. If it wasn't split between APK and OBB, the APK itself would have to be as large as the APK+OBB combined.

On a related note, is there a particular reason you need to have so much of Wikipedia available offline? Are you that routinely without any data access and need to have access to all of Wikipedia? For my money, using the official Wikipedia app is a much better use of my storage:

well in case of wikipedia

its 4GB on Play stire

but takes up 8GB as you can see on bottom line

yes i am often without access to data ..

belive it or not 90% of world surface doesnt have data .. (except if you include sattelites)

To respond to your PM:



It's not really 2x space, it's just storing different data in two locations and two ways. If it wasn't split between APK and OBB, the APK itself would have to be as large as the APK+OBB combined.

On a related note, is there a particular reason you need to have so much of Wikipedia available offline? Are you that routinely without any data access and need to have access to all of Wikipedia? For my money, using the official Wikipedia app is a much better use of my storage:

well in case of wikipedia

its 4GB on Play stire

but takes up 8GB as you can see on bottom line

yes i am often without access to data ..

belive it or not 90% of world surface doesnt have data .. (except if you include sattelites)

 

[EarlyMon]

How much space do you think Wikipedia is supposed to take?

It's called TANSTAAFL my friend - there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

If you're stuck without a data connection then you're stuck having to lug a lot of data around or you're stuck without data.