Google to tighten oversight of Android apps’ memory use
Google plans to tighten oversight of RAM usage by Android apps and games. Programs that exceed the established limits may slow down or be terminated, and could also lose some capabilities in Google Play.
Requirements for apps
As The Verge reports, Google published a notice about Google Play’s role in introducing memory usage restrictions. The company said the requirements are intended to help developers operate amid industry-wide hardware constraints and broader memory limits in Android.
Google warned that an app exceeding the specified thresholds will be slowed down and may be terminated by the system. Apps and games that do not meet the threshold values may receive lower visibility in Google Play and restrictions on publishing capabilities. The company promises to provide additional details later in 2026.
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Monitoring from February 2027
Memory limits for individual apps first appeared in Android 17 on Pixel smartphones. Over the next year, more and more manufacturers will apply such restrictions on devices with RAM ranging from 4 GB to more than 16 GB.
Google plans to begin monitoring compliance with the requirements in February 2027. The Verge links this move to a RAM shortage that has already affected the device market. The outlet also notes that the base versions of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL have less RAM than the previous year’s models, but calls a possible connection with the new limits an assumption.
