When Apple announced iOS 9, they also revealed a new feature called app slicing. This feature was designed for developers and it would let developers create apps which used less storage space on specific devices. The idea behind app slicing is to optimize the app’s storage requirements by only including the assets and resources needed for the specific device on which the app is installed. This can significantly reduce the amount of storage space an app occupies, which is particularly beneficial for devices with limited storage capacity.
Current Status of App Slicing
Apple has now revealed to its developers that the new app slicing feature is not available in iOS 9 at the moment. This is apparently due to a bug in iCloud. The issue affects iCloud backups created from iOS 9, where some apps from the App Store would only restore to the same model of iOS device. This means that if you backed up your iPhone 6 and tried to restore it to an iPhone 6s, the apps might not restore correctly, leading to potential data loss or app functionality issues.
App slicing is currently unavailable for iOS 9 apps due to this issue. Apple has assured developers that they do not need to take any action at this time. When someone downloads one of their apps on a specific device, they will automatically get the universal version of the app. This universal version includes all the assets and resources for all device types, which means it will take up more storage space than a sliced version would.
Future of App Slicing
Apple has indicated that the app slicing feature will be enabled in the future, although they have not provided specific details on when it will be available. The company is likely working on resolving the iCloud backup issue to ensure that app slicing can be implemented without causing any problems for users. Once the feature is enabled, it will provide a more efficient way for developers to manage app resources and for users to save storage space on their devices.
The introduction of app slicing is part of Apple’s broader strategy to improve the user experience by optimizing software performance and storage management. For example, with the increasing complexity of apps and the higher resolution of assets required for newer devices, storage space can quickly become a limiting factor. App slicing addresses this by ensuring that only the necessary components are downloaded and stored on the device.
In addition to app slicing, Apple has introduced other features in iOS 9 aimed at improving performance and efficiency. These include app thinning, which encompasses app slicing, on-demand resources, and bitcode. On-demand resources allow apps to download content as needed, rather than including everything in the initial download. Bitcode is an intermediate representation of an app that allows Apple to optimize the app for different devices without requiring developers to submit multiple versions.
The delay in the availability of app slicing is a temporary setback, but it highlights the complexities involved in managing app resources across a diverse range of devices. Developers and users alike can look forward to the eventual implementation of this feature, which promises to enhance the overall efficiency and performance of iOS apps.
Source Apple
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