{
  "id": 3949656,
  "title": "Google clamps down on Android app RAM usage amid AI memory crisis — developers have until February 2027 to adapt to new memory-optimizing rules",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/google-clamps-down-on-android-app-ram-usage-amid-ai-memory-crisis",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-28T11:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/phones/android/google-clamps-down-on-android-app-ram-usage-amid-ai-memory-crisis-developers-have-until-february-2027-to-adapt-to-new-memory-optimizing-rules"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In response to a critical shortage of memory, Google has implemented more stringent guidelines for Android applications' memory management. These rules aim to ensure that apps run smoothly on a wider variety of devices, particularly those with lower memory capacities. Developers have until February 2027 to optimize their applications to reduce their memory footprint.\n\nThe memory crisis has been exacerbated by the soaring demand for data center CPUs and AI agents. Chip scarcity is also affecting the auto industry, adding to the Nexperia and DRAM crisis. Smartphone manufacturers are coping with the limited supply and rising costs by either reducing memory or storage in their devices or passing on the additional costs to consumers.\n\nPreviously, entry-level smartphones often came with 6GB to 8GB of memory. However, many manufacturers have since reduced this to 4GB, which could significantly impact device performance. To address this, Google's new memory limits are designed to provide a smooth experience on memory-limited smartphones. If an application exceeds the set memory thresholds, the Android OS will either slow down the application or close it to prevent slowdowns or crashes.\n\nThe guidelines focus on three main areas: dynamic memory usage, bitmap memory usage, and DEX code optimization. Dynamic memory usage refers to the temporary memory an application consumes while running, which developers should manage more efficiently by freeing memory when it's no longer needed, such as when the user is not interacting with the app or when it moves to the background.\n\nBitmap memory usage is another critical area. Bitmaps are commonly used for displaying vibrant images but consume significantly more memory than displaying text. Overusing bitmaps can quickly consume a device's memory. Google advises developers to use bitmaps responsibly and adopt better image handling protocols. Code optimization is also emphasized, with developers required to clean and shrink their application code by at least 25% using tools like R8 before publishing their apps on the Google Play Store.",
  "summary": "Google implements stricter memory limits and introduces new performance standards for Android apps.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}