Google plans wider rollout of RAM management system designed to prevent demanding apps from slowing entire Android devices

Google is expanding Android 17’s per-app memory limits to more smartphones, introducing stricter controls over how individual applications use RAM and helping devices maintain smoother overall performance.

The company initially introduced the feature on Pixel smartphones. However, Google now plans to bring the technology to more Android devices over the coming year. The system will support phones with at least 4GB of RAM and extend to premium models equipped with more than 16GB.

Under the system, Android monitors how much memory individual apps consume and intervenes when an application exceeds designated limits.

Android Can Compress Memory or Close Demanding Apps

When an app consumes excessive RAM, Android may move some of its data into compressed memory. Consequently, the application can remain active while occupying less physical memory.

However, compression requires additional processing and could temporarily reduce the performance of the affected app. If excessive memory consumption continues, Android may eventually close the application to protect overall system stability.

For users, the feature should reduce situations where a poorly optimised or resource-intensive app causes the entire smartphone to become sluggish.

Moreover, devices with relatively limited RAM could benefit significantly because they have less memory available for running multiple applications simultaneously.

Google Gives Developers New Optimisation Tools

Google is also encouraging developers to ensure their applications remain within Android 17’s new memory guidelines.

If developers optimise their apps appropriately, users should notice little or no disruption during normal activities, including multitasking, gaming and running AI-powered features.

Nevertheless, applications that require unusually large amounts of memory could experience slower performance or face termination if they repeatedly exceed Android’s limits.

Therefore, Google is providing developers with additional tools to identify excessive memory consumption and correct related performance problems.

Ultimately, Android 17 introduces a more aggressive approach to RAM management. Rather than allowing one demanding application to degrade overall device performance, Android can now restrict that app’s memory consumption while prioritising stability across the smartphone.