Killed by Google: Support for Android Instant Apps to Reportedly Be Dropped Later This Year

Google is reportedly shutting down Android's Instant Apps feature later this year. As per the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is ending support for the feature due to its low usage and adoption among users. These app-like interfaces will reportedly no longer work after December 2025, and the company will also end support for its application programming interface (API) and tooling support from its integrated development environment (IDE), Android Studio. Notably, last year, the company killed Chromecast and replaced it with the Google TV Streamer set-top box.

Android's Instant Apps Reportedly Had Low Usage

According to an Android Authority report, a notice for the shutdown of Instant Apps was spotted in the latest canary build of Android Studio. Developer Leon Omelan reportedly spotted the message, which appeared as a pop-up above the Instant Apps dependency.

Based on the screenshot shared by the publication, the notice read, “Instant Apps support will be removed by Google Play in December 2025. Publishing and all Google Play Instant APIs will no longer work. Tooling support will be removed in Android Studio Otter Feature Drop.”

Google spokesperson Nia Carter also told The Verge about the shutdown of the service, citing low usage and engagement of the Instant Apps, and developers opting for other tools for app discovery as the primary reasons. “This change allows us to invest more in the tools that are working well for developers, and help direct users to full app downloads to foster deeper engagement,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Instant Apps was launched by Google in 2017. For those unfamiliar with the feature, these are lightweight versions of regular apps that users can run without installing them on their device. Similar to Apple's App Clips, these are designed for a quick app-like experience and often perform only a specific function such as bill payment or playing the demo of a game.

To use Instant Apps, users will first have to enable the feature from Google Play. Then, if they tap a link while using Google Search on an Android device, Play Store checks if there is an app that could open the link, as per the company's support page. Tapping the link instantly opens an app-like interface without requiring the user to download or install anything.