android - SharedPreferences are not being cleared when I uninstall

Question

OK, this is a strange one that I didn't think was even possible.

So, ever since I've been using a Nexus 5X, the SharedPreferences are not getting wiped when I uninstall my app.

I install the app through Android Studio and test things. I then uninstall the app. I then resintall the app through Android Studio and all the SharedPreferences values are still there.

I've tried clearing the data/cache in addition to uninstalling. The SharedPreferences are persistent through all those attempts.

I am using stock Android 6.0 on a Nexus 5X. My device is not rooted. I am not using a custom ROM. I do not have this issue with my Nexus 4.

Any ideas what might be causing this?

Answer 1

This is a new marshmallow feature.

Add android:allowBackup="false" tag inside your <application> object in your app manifest to disable this behaviour.

If android:allowBackup tag clashes with any other library you are using, you should add tools:replace="android:allowBackup" also.