Google introduces new memory-focused requirements for Android apps, set to take effect in February 2027, signalling a push for greater efficiency amid rising device complexity and AI integration.
Google is tightening the rules for Android apps that want to stay in good standing on Google Play, with new memory-focused requirements due to take effect in February 2027. The policy shift puts runtime memory, image handling and code efficiency under closer scrutiny, reflecting the growing pressure from AI features and more expensive RAM across mobile devices.
According to TechRepublic, Google will judge apps against thresholds that vary by device memory and by whether the software is a standard app or a game. Using an 8GB phone as an example, the report says a regular app will be allowed 2.25GB in the foreground and 1.5GB in the background, while games are given higher limits because of their heavier baseline demands. Google is also treating bitmap usage as a separate issue, which means developers will need to avoid holding unnecessarily large images in memory for longer than necessary.
Code size is also part of the new test. TechRepublic reports that apps carrying more than 10MB of DEX code, and games exceeding 50MB, must achieve at least 25% coverage across optimisation, obfuscation and shrinking. In practical terms, that will force developers to look for memory leaks, reduce excess resource use and strip out redundant code before the deadline.
Google is pairing the Play Store changes with wider Android-level adjustments. The Android Developers website says Android 17 will introduce per-app memory limits that begin on Pixel devices and then spread to more manufacturers over the following year. When an app reaches its allowance, Android may move some memory pages into compressed zRAM, which can hurt performance, and may ultimately terminate the process if pressure continues. Google is also adding more memory data to Android vitals, giving developers more visibility into how apps behave across different devices.
The wider direction is clear. Android is moving towards stricter efficiency requirements at both the platform and publishing levels, and that will matter not only to developers but also to users who rely on large, memory-hungry apps. Google’s broader documentation shows the same trend in other areas too, including its target API and 16KB page-size requirements, which are also being used to push apps towards better performance and compatibility.
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