AI’s memory crunch is coming for Android apps

Google is responding to a global shortage of memory chips in the industry by updating its standards for Android apps. The changes center around reducing an app's memory usage and optimizing its code to ensure a smooth consumer experience. Google acknowledges that hardware supply constraints are affecting device memory availability, which can impact how users interact with their devices.

To tackle this issue, the tech giant is setting new performance requirements in areas like dynamic memory usage and bitmap usage. Developers will also have to meet certain code optimization standards to prevent problems like slowdowns and crashes.

To help app creators meet these new requirements, Google is introducing tools that will notify developers when their apps cross the new thresholds. These tools will allow developers to take action by optimizing their code. The company plans to introduce more diagnostic tools later in the year, including a Memory Limiter feature that will stop apps from using too much device memory.

These changes are aimed at maintaining high-quality app and game experiences for users, especially for low-end devices where memory availability might be limited due to price concerns.

Developers have until February 2027 to meet these new thresholds, which are outlined on Google's Android Developer site. The company will also enforce the Zero Tap Sign-In requirement during device migrations by April 2027. This requirement mandates that apps with user sign-ins, whether optional or mandatory, should automatically restore the user's sign-in state when switching between Android devices using the Android Restore Credentials API.