Google Urges Android App Developers to Reduce Memory Usage

Driven by the AI boom, a global memory shortage has caused prices to surge, forcing both PC and smartphone manufacturers to reduce device memory capacities. The PC industry has reintroduced 8GB RAM PCs after many years, and smartphone makers are facing the same issue. In response, Google is requiring Android app developers to optimize their code and lower memory consumption.

Google stated that the mobile industry is facing severe hardware supply constraints that are changing device memory availability, which in turn affects the user experience. Google has introduced new code optimization requirements to prevent performance-related issues such as sluggishness and crashes. App developers must comply with these memory usage guidelines by February 2027.

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/08/app-quality-memory-optimization-secure-onboarding.html https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/27/ais-memory-crunch-is-coming-for-android-apps/