For most Apple users, one of the many drawbacks of having a device without expandable storage is that there is only a certain number of apps that can be installed and downloaded on their iPhones and iPads. However, Apple seems to have remedied this issue, announcing before the iOS 9 rollout that it would have a new feature called app thinning.
But glitches in the iCloud feature delayed the app thinning option, and Apple announced the iOS 9 without it.
Now, though, the Cupertino-based company has managed to iron out the kinks and app thinning is now available for iOS users. This would optimize the storage of the device, particularly Apple devices with only the minimum amount of non-expandable ROM storage.
However, a bit of bad news is that the feature will only work for iOS 9.0.2 and above.
App thinning or slicing is a feature that delivers slimmed down versions of apps to users. When developers create apps or programs, they do so in one batch, and there are common resources containing the same source codes regardless of devices. This poses a problem in terms of storage. For example, an iOS app will have just one copy for both the iPhone and the iPad, and the source codes for the larger device will still be incorporated into the app version even when the user has downloaded it to an iPhone.
With app thinning, the resources are managed and optimized and only resources that would work on an iPhone will be downloaded together with the app.
According to Apple, unlocking this option will be automated, and developers need not worry about segregating their work. On the developer site, Apple wrote, "You continue to develop and upload full versions of your app to iTunes Connect. The App Store will create and deliver different variants based on the devices your app supports. Image resources are sliced according to their resolution and device family. GPU resources are sliced according to device capabilities."
