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App hibernation (unused apps)

FeatureAndroid 12 and later
Checked against official documentationLast reviewed 1 min read

Android 12 and later can put apps you have not used for a few months into hibernation. Their permissions are removed, notifications stop, background work is blocked and cached files are deleted to free space. The app is restored as soon as you open it again. On Android 11, only the automatic permission reset exists.

1What hibernation does

A hibernating app loses its runtime permissions, cannot run jobs or alarms, receives no push notifications and has its cache cleared. Its data and settings stay.

2Where to see it

Settings > Apps > Unused apps lists the apps that were put into hibernation. Opening an app wakes it up; permissions must then be granted again when the app asks.

3Exempting an app

The 'Pause app activity if unused' (or 'Remove permissions and free up space') switch on an app's page turns hibernation off for that app. This is useful for apps that run rarely but must keep working, such as a backup app.

How to keep an app out of hibernation

  1. Open Settings > Apps and select the app.
  2. Scroll to Unused app settings.
  3. Turn off 'Pause app activity if unused'.
  4. Open Settings > Apps > Unused apps to review the others.

Cautions

  • Hibernated apps do not deliver notifications, so a rarely used security or backup app may stop working silently.
  • Menu names differ between phone makers and Android versions.

Sources

  1. App hibernation (Android Developers) developer.android.com
  2. Auto-reset permissions from unused apps (Android Developers) developer.android.com

Note: Rain Cleaner for Android shows where the space went and cleans only after you confirm.

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