Starting in February 2027, Google will impose stricter requirements on Android apps’ memory usage. Apps that consistently consume too much RAM may face restrictions on Google Play. Google will also require developers to further optimize their DEX code.
These measures are intended to prepare Android for a future in which smartphones won’t necessarily keep gaining more and more RAM. Google points to rising RAM costs and warns of a looming memory crisis for the ecosystem. Using available memory more efficiently should prevent apps from running into limitations on future devices.
Google measures actual usage
Starting in February 2027, Google Play will introduce two new Android Vitals for memory. The first measures how much memory an app actually uses, with Google looking at Anonymous RSS and swap or zRAM. The second focuses specifically on memory consumed by bitmaps.
The threshold is not the same for every device or situation. Google takes into account, among other things, a smartphone’s RAM and the app’s status. For example, an app running in the foreground is allocated more space than one that is only present in the cache.
For its assessment, Google looks at performance over a 28-day period and uses the 90th percentile. For example, an app on a device in the 4 GB RAM category may use up to 2 GB in the foreground. For a device with 8 GB, that limit is 2.25 GB.
Developers will be able to view the new metrics in the Play Console starting in November 2026, giving them a few months to resolve any issues before Google actually enforces the requirements.
Higher memory costs play a role
The timing is linked to the sharp rise in memory prices. The Register points out that, as a result, manufacturers may be less inclined to opt for ever-larger amounts of RAM in new smartphones. At the same time, apps are actually demanding more memory. The rise of on-device AI processing could further increase this pressure, The Register notes.
Google has been working for some time on measures to prevent individual apps from consuming too large a portion of available memory and thereby crowding out other processes. Android 17 will feature stricter memory limits, allowing the operating system to terminate a process in extreme cases. The new Play Store rules extend this approach to developers and app distribution.
Apps that exceed the limits may ultimately be recommended less prominently in Google Play. Developers may also encounter restrictions when they want to publish new versions.
DEX code must also be smaller
At the same time, Google is introducing a separate requirement for code optimization. New app versions submitted to Google Play starting in February 2027 must achieve at least 25 percent optimization, shrinking, and obfuscation of their DEX code.
Google recommends R8, the optimizer included in the Android build environment, for this purpose but does not mandate its use. The rule primarily targets larger applications and games. For apps, the requirement applies when DEX code exceeds 10 MB; for games, the threshold is 50 MB.
Together, these measures make it clear that Google no longer wants to leave Android software efficiency solely up to developers. Starting in 2027, memory usage and executable size will become criteria that can directly affect app distribution on Google Play.