This open source app helped me free up 15GB of storage on my phone without deleting anything

19 Sep 2026, 15:15 by Akshay Bhalla · Android Police

Managing internal storage on smartphones can be tricky, especially when you install too many apps that accumulate a lot of data.

Even after deleting a lot of storage data, I sometimes need to remove unused apps to free up space.

But I found a solution that lets me archive apps, keep crucial data, and restore them with one tap.

The combo uses an open source app and Android's built-in archiving feature, which has become my go-to way to manage storage.

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We all use apps that often get bloated or balloon in size over time. These include social media apps, games, and other utility apps that grow with every new patch.

While this issue isn't as extreme in the case of iOS apps, a phone with many apps can often lead to storage hogging.

This might not be an issue on phones with large internal storage capacity, but other budget-friendly phones don't have the same advantage.

But when I discovered Obtainium and started using it to auto-update open source apps, I found a way to free up storage without losing anything.

When I deleted certain apps to free up space, the traditional method wiped all data and required a full re-setup when I reinstalled the app.

I tried Android's built-in archiving feature on its own, and it saved all my personal info for the app but still required an update.

Since I use many open source apps, this can get frustrating because I would have to update each app from its source manually.

This isn't a problem for apps downloaded from the Play Store, but since I use many open source apps, deleting without losing data becomes a problem.

But with Obtainium, I can archive open source apps on the fly and update them with a single tap, without hunting for the latest version when I unarchive them.

Obtainium also auto-updates open source apps I download from various sources, and when I used it with Android's Archvibing API, I freed up 15GB of storage space.

In the app, I add the app's source link, and Obtainium keeps it updated for me. It supports various sources such as GitHub, F-Droid, APKPure, Aptoide, along with many others.

You can download and sideload Obtainium from APKMirror or the app’s official website.

After I've added the source for each app on my phone, Obtainium tracks releases, auto-updates (if enabled), and supports various filters for different versions.

I also don't have to worry about setting up sources on every device I own, since one can easily import and export configurations between devices.

How I use Obtainium and Android's Archive API combo

The best solution when running short on storage

As I mentioned earlier, I install and update sideloaded apps via Obtainium, and since it monitors the source, I don't have to worry about updating apps when I need them.

Obtainium doesn't natively archive apps right now, but the community has requested it as a possible addition.

For apps I rarely use, I archive them aggressively. This frees up at least 10GB to 15GB of internal storage space.

I also actively purge app junk data for the ones I keep installed, so I get even more space if I ever need it.

To archive apps on Android, follow the steps below:

Long-press the app's icon.
Tap App info.
Tap the Archive option.

After you archive an app, it retains all the important data you might need when you unarchive it. This includes all of your login information and any other settings you may have tweaked.

This isn't new, but here's where Obtainium comes in. Since I added a source link for the app earlier, I can either tap the update button to start it or have it auto-update if the setting is turned on.

Obtainium provides a fresh APK for the unarchived app without me having to download it manually.

This is a great solution for users who use multiple open source apps and dread deleting them because of fear of losing data.

This method lets you "have" the app on your phone and ready to go even though the app has been unarchived.

This may not seem like much, but I've offloaded quite a few apps that I previously downloaded from the Play Store as well.

These include social media apps, games, and other tools such as image editors.

When I need more storage, I archive them, use the space for whatever I need, then unarchive those apps when I need them again.

But since I like to digital detox often, the best practice is to unarchive low-use apps for this method.

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The combo I inadvertently discovered

I didn't know about this method until I did some digging in Obtainium. I tested whether this was a viable way to free up storage space.

It worked out better than I hoped, and best of all, it keeps my data intact for the free, open source apps I use.

Storage is becoming a rare commodity, and phones with larger internal storage capacities are more expensive than ever.

This method not only helps me manage phone storage better, but it also helps me save money by letting me skip a future phone upgrade.