Google Imposes Strict Memory Limits on Android Apps as AI Chip Shortage Bites

AI's memory crunch is coming for Android apps

Google is making changes to its requirements for Android apps as developers face industry-wide memory chip shortages driven by the AI data center boom. This week, the tech giant announced two new app quality requirements, one of which is focused on reducing apps' memory usage and optimizing its code. The company explains that the mobile industry is now facing "significant hardware supply constraints that are altering device memory availability," which can then, in turn, affect the consumer's experience with their devices. To address this, Google is now establishing new performance thresholds across several areas, like dynamic memory usage and bitmap usage. In addition, Google is adding code optimization requirements designed to prevent things like app slowdowns and crashes related to performance. To aid developers, the company is rolling out new tools that will alert them when their apps exceed the new thresholds so they can take action by optimizing their code. More diagnostic tools will arrive later in the year, Google noted, including deeper insights provided by a Memory Limiter feature that prevents apps from using too much device memory. The changes are meant to help Android app and game makers continue to deliver a quality experience, Google says, while reflecting a market where memory may not be as widely available, particularly for low-end devices where price points are a concern. Developers have until February 2027 to meet the new thresholds, documented on Google's Android Developer site. In addition, the company will require all Play Store apps to meet the Zero Tap Sign-In requirement during device migrations by April 2027. This standard requires that apps with user sign-ins, whether optional or mandatory, automatically restore the user's sign-in state when they move between Android devices using the Android Restore Credentials API.

Google clamps down on Android app RAM usage amid AI memory crisis -- developers have until February 2027 to adapt to new memory-optimizing rules

Because of the unprecedented memory shortage, Google has introduced stricter guidelines for how Android applications manage and use device memory. These new rules ensure applications perform smoothly across a wider range of devices, especially those with lower memory capacities. Developers now have until February 2027 to optimize their applications to reduce the memory footprint. Smartphone manufacturers are managing the limited supply and rising costs of memory and storage components in different ways. Some are reducing the memory or storage included in their smartphones, while others are passing the additional costs directly on to consumers. Before the global memory shortage, it was not uncommon to find entry-level smartphones equipped with 6GB to 8GB of memory. However, many manufacturers have dialed memory down to 4GB, which will ultimately significantly impact device performance. Google's new memory limits are meant to help guarantee a smooth experience on smartphones with limited memory. If an application exceeds the predefined memory thresholds, the Android operating system will intervene by slowing down the application or forcibly closing it to prevent slowdowns or crashes. Google has called on developers to optimize three crucial areas: dynamic memory usage (anonymous RSS + swap), bitmap memory usage, and DEX code. Dynamic memory usage refers to the temporary memory that an application consumes while it is running. Developers need to implement smarter memory management so memory is freed when it is no longer needed. This can be when the user is no longer interacting with the application or when it moves to the background. Bitmap memory usage is another key area that developers must focus on. Bitmaps are common resources for displaying vibrant images, but they consume far more memory than displaying text. When overdone, excessive bitmap memory usage can easily eat up a device's memory. Google recommends that developers use bitmaps responsibly and use better image handling protocols. Google also highlights code optimization. During development, applications often accumulate redundant or unused code. Sometimes developers ship applications with more code than what is actually needed. Unnecessary code just increases the memory footprint. Under the new guidelines, developers must clean and shrink the application's code by at least 25% with tools such as R8 before publishing the application on the Google Play Store. Just as computer enthusiasts are reluctant to buy new hardware, smartphone users are in the same boat when it comes to upgrading their devices. This has prompted companies to take a more proactive approach to supporting customers by improving the experience on hardware they already own. For example, Microsoft has committed to optimizing Windows 11 to run smoothly on devices with 8GB of memory so users are not pressured to upgrade their memory. Google has also taken steps with the new policy to enforce better memory management practices among Android application developers. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

AI Memory Crunch Causes Android To Tighten Data Usage Around its App Ecosystem

The large-scale diversion of compute capacity towards AI datacentres is making Android insist on crunching memory use by apps on smartphones Now, here's something that all you AI proponents must take the blame for. Such has been the demand for memory chips in the AI ecosystem that now Google is forced to make changes on its Android smartphone ecosystem that would reduce the memory use of apps through code optimization and other similar steps in the development stage. Titled 'Elevating app quality: Reducing memory usage and improving device migration', the blog post on Google's Android Developers forum says, "Google Play is introducing two new quality requirements: one focused on reducing app memory footprint, and another on providing a secure, seamless device migration experience." The company says that such a step would help developers navigate industry-wide hardware constraints and Android's broader memory limits, it would also go towards Google's target of setting up new performance thresholds. In addition, it would elevate app quality through new onboarding standards to simplify and secure login during device upgrades. The company also listed out technical quality requirements in another post where they highlighted the current status and the upgrades that Google expects. Google says the mobile industry facing "significant hardware supply constraints that are altering device memory availability and if not tackled on a war-footing could affect the customer experience on handheld devices. In order to ensure that customers get the best even in a time of constraint, Google says it is now establishing new performance thresholds across multiple areas such as dynamic memory usage and bitmap use. It is also adding code optimisation parameters designed to prevent slowdown of apps or crashes resulting from poor performance. The company said it would also be rolling out new tools to alert them when apps exceed the new thresholds so that they can take quick action by optimising their codes. Diagnostic tools would also arrive later this year, the blog post said adding that these could provide deeper insights via a memory limiter feature that would prevent apps from using too much device memory. "Through our ongoing investment in these enhancements, our goal is to help you continuously optimize your footprint and elevate the experience you provide your users," the blog said, noting that these changes would ensure that Android app and game creators keep delivering quality experience to users. The company has set February 2027 as the timeline to meet the new thresholds documented on the developer website mentioned above. Google also noted that all Play Store apps would need to meet the Zero Tap Sign-in requirement during device migrations by April 2027, which means apps with user sign-ins (both optional and mandatory) automatically restore the sign-in state when they are moved along Android devices using the Android Restore Creds API. Apps and games that do not meet these thresholds may see reduced app visibility and publishing capabilities on Google Play. Additional details will be provided later this year," the blog post said while exhorting developers to start planning now. "Meeting these quality requirements on Google Play is a crucial step toward building a faster, more reliable experience for our users. We appreciate your partnership and everything you do to keep the Android community thriving," the blog concludes.