Use Play Instant Apps

From the Play Store, you can use apps without installing them on your device using Google Play Instant.

Use instant apps

How Play Instant Apps work

When you tap a link, Google Play checks if there’s an app that could open the link. It will open the link in the instant app (if available) if you don’t already have the app installed on your device.

An instant app only loads the portions of the app needed to perform the current action. The portions of the app and any data they store are temporarily added to the device. To remove that data, see “clear the data for a specific instant app,” below.

Note: You can turn off Play Instant Apps at any time. Follow the instructions under “Turn Instant Apps on or off,” above.

See your recent instant apps

You can see which instant apps you have used recently:

On your device, open the Settings app .
Go to Google Instant Apps.
Tap any app to see more details on its usage. Instant apps you've used will also appear in the list of recent apps in your phone overview menu .

Install an app

You can use an instant app without installing it on your device. If you want to use the app regularly or use the app offline, you can install it. Find it on the Play Store or look in the Instant Apps menu:

Install it through the Google Play Store

Open the Google Play Store app .
- Note: you can also go to play.google.com.
Search or browse for the app.
Select it.
Tap Install.
Follow the onscreen instructions to install the app on your device.

Install it from the Instant Apps menu

On your device, open the Settings app .
Go to Google Instant Apps.
Tap the app you want to install.
Tap Install.
Follow the onscreen instructions to install the app on your device.

Clear the data for a specific instant app

You can clear the data for an instant app you’ve used:

On your device, open the Settings app .
Go to Google Instant Apps.
Tap on the instant app you want to change the setting for.
Tap Clear app data.

Tip: You may also want to go to your Account page to manage apps you have connected to your Google Account. Note that any information you shared with the developer is subject to the developer's privacy policy, so contact the developer if you wish to manage this information.

Manage permissions for Instant Apps

You still control permissions and access to your information for an instant app, the same as an installed app. Find out more about how to manage your permissions.

Help with Instant Apps

If you’re having issues with Play Instant Apps, get help and troubleshoot the problem.