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Using Marshmallow. I usually have memory close to full. It often happens to me that, while trying to install an app of a given size, I am request to free space for 6-10 times the size of the app, which seems very strange to me.

What are possible causes and solutions (if there is any other than doing what is asked for) for this?

Example: trying to install Join (for bike rides). App size is ca. 39MB. I was requested to free 290MB. After freeing some space I still have to free 190MB.

EDIT: I have found possible similar questions, but with a little less detail on the sizes involved, older Android versions, or other perhaps minor differences, so I wouldn't be sure if the questions are really rooted on the same causes (thus I wouldn't call this one a dupe). As for the respective answers, I would have to check if they apply; some of them are poorly documented or seem to be more conjectures than knowledge. For completeness, I am listing here such questions.

"Insufficient storage" when trying to install new app

Something is secretly eating up my Acer Iconia A500 internal memory and I need help finding it

Google Play: Error downloading app - insufficient space

Cannot install some apps in Android 4.1.2

What space am I running out of when trying to install an app?

Google Play asking 100 TIMES the real size of the app

Related: How to compute all space taken up by an app and its associated files

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Some app might use features that will be downloaded later on for example, google vision api require some space for it to able to be downloaded even if you are not installing it, but the app may need it. Apps also will caches files so this will also need somwle space. But from my development experience, the app may contains some features that require that amount of space. Even if the size of the app may be much less than the requirement size.

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  • Would Android know that in advance, while attempting installation? Who will tell Android at that point the space needed later on? Even if this is true, I found it strange this is the cause for the subject of the question.
    – sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio
    Commented Dec 27, 2017 at 2:52
  • the space is not later needed on, it is needed only during installation but not during usage.
    – yuzurihaaa93
    Commented Dec 28, 2017 at 2:16
  • This is possible... It would be good to have documentation to back it.
    – sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio
    Commented Dec 28, 2017 at 6:37

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