An update to the iOS Offload Unused Apps feature.
2019
UX Design
Apple introduced Offload Unused Apps as a new feature in iOS 11. It was designed to help users of low-capacity iPhones make better use of their device's limited memory. I actively use the feature on my 16gb iPhone 6s. And it sucks.
I keep my phone organized. Every app I have installed has a purpose. If I don't use it, I uninstall it. So every now and then, when I go to use an app and it has been offloaded, it can be pretty frustrating. Especially if I'm not on wifi, I have to wait a few minutes and use precious data to re-download the app.
Apple isn't very clear about how the Offload Unused Apps feature works. It's a seemingly obscure feature buried at the very bottom of the iTunes settings. I could find no documentation to explain the process by which apps are selected for offloading. Does it happen anytime memory starts to get low? If it take too many pictures, will my phone start dumping apps? How do they choose which ones go first? I've had some apps that I use every day get offloaded while less-used apps remain installed.
Whatever the criteria are, without any public documentation one can never predict when an app will be offloaded or which one it will be. It's a terrifying low-stakes game of russian roulette every time you open your phone.
Similar to location settings (which can be adjusted for individual apps), users should be given the ability to adjust the offload-ability of each individual app. With a few adjustments to the current settings, users could assign a priority to each app to better preserve the apps they really need the most.