What an app's file size actually tells you
A 48 MB download is not the same as 48 MB on your phone. Here is why the numbers differ and which one matters.
Written by The in7club team
Published · 4 min read
The size listed next to an app is its download size — the compressed file you fetch. What lands on your phone is larger, sometimes twice as large, because the file is expanded during install.
The three numbers
Download size is what you pay for in mobile data. Install size is what the app occupies immediately after installing. Cache is everything it downloads afterwards: table art, sound, ad creatives. For most card apps the cache grows to roughly the install size again within a week of regular play.
Which one to plan around
If you are short on storage, plan around install size plus cache, not download size. A 48 MB download can comfortably occupy 150 MB after a fortnight. Clearing cache is safe and does not sign you out; clearing storage usually does.