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[Help] Why do app updates have download sizes almost as large as the apps themselves? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/programming

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They seem to be too big for what devs claim to be a 'minor patch' and yet too small to suggest a complete reinstallation of the app. Is there some technical reason behind it? I would like to request an ELI5 for this.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

App stores and their systems don’t usually have the ability to deploy diffs

Google Play has had this ability for over a decade. They call it smart updates, though the general idea is often called delta updates. Apple has the ability, too, though I don't know when they started.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don’t know when they started.

Apple added delta updates eleven years ago. How well it works depends on how the app is structured though.

Apple also doesn't, generally, deploy the entire app to anyone. If you install the "same" app on two devices, you're going to get a different app unless those devices are exactly the same.