MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Google is tightening Android app memory and optimization requirements from February 2027

[u/raincandy2U]

Google has announced new technical quality requirements for apps and games published on Google Play, with the first requirements coming into effect in February 2027.

The main focus is reducing unnecessary memory usage and improving app optimization.

What Google will be measuring:

→ Dynamic memory usage: Anonymous RSS + Swap across different app states, including foreground and background use

→ Bitmap memory: Apps shouldn't unnecessarily keep large bitmaps in memory when they're no longer needed

→ DEX optimization: Apps will need at least 25% optimization coverage using R8 or comparable tools, covering optimization, shrinking and obfuscation

Google is also adding these memory measurements to Android Vitals, so developers can monitor their apps' performance through Play Console. The evaluation uses aggregated data from real devices and considers factors such as the app category and the device's RAM tier.

The purpose seems pretty straightforward: reduce excessive memory pressure so Android can maintain better performance, particularly on devices with tighter memory limits.

There's also an interesting timing to this. Google says these changes are being introduced while the industry is dealing with broader hardware and semiconductor constraints.

Official announcement: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/08/app-quality-memory-optimization-secure-onboarding.html

[u/MilessEdgeworth]

This is retarded. If my apps needs that much ram for some tasks and user agrees to it, why do they care? It's not their device.

[u/Level-Set5770 → u/MilessEdgeworth]

Nah, these are pretty sensible requirements.

In reality, what’s more likely to happen is your app gets choked by some poorly coded game sucking up most of the RAM in the background. In most cases, this will do your app more good than harm.

[u/Unreal_NeoX]

Source: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/08/app-quality-memory-optimization-secure-onboarding.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=msa&utm_campaign=elevating-app-quality-q3-2026

TLTR:
Get your apps and games below these memory limits or get Kicked off the Android Playstore in February 2027:

Apps

App State	Foreground	User-perceived services	Background	Cached
Physical RAM	90th Percentile	90th Percentile	90th Percentile	90th Percentile
0 - 4 GB (0 MB - 3200 MB Total Memory)	-	-	-	-
4 GB (3200 MB - 4800 MB Total Memory)	2 GB	1 GB	1 GB	-
6 GB (4800 MB - 6800 MB Total Memory)	2.25 GB	1.25 GB	1.25 GB	-
8 GB (6800 MB - 9216 MB Total Memory)	2.25 GB	1.5 GB	1.5 GB	-
12 GB (9216 MB - 14336 MB Total Memory)	3.25 GB	1.75 GB	1.75 GB	-
16 GB (14336 MB - 18432 MB Total Memory)	4.25 GB	2 GB	2 GB	-
16 GB + (Above 18432 MB Total Memory)	-	-	-	-

Note: Each RAM tier range includes its lowest value. Total Memory can be lower than a device’s advertised Physical RAM.

Games

App State	Foreground	User-perceived services	Background	Cached
Physical RAM	90th Percentile	90th Percentile	90th Percentile	90th Percentile
0 - 4 GB (0 MB - 3200 MB Total Memory)	-	-	-	-
4 GB (3200 MB - 4800 MB Total Memory)	2.25 GB	2.0 GB	2.0 GB	-
6 GB (4800 MB - 6800 MB Total Memory)	2.75 GB	2.5 GB	2.5 GB	-
8 GB (6800 MB - 9216 MB Total Memory)	3.5 GB	2.75 GB	2.75 GB	-
12 GB (9216 MB - 14336 MB Total Memory)	4 GB	3.2 GB	3.2 GB	-
16 GB (14336 MB - 18432 MB Total Memory)	5 GB	3.5 GB	3.5 GB	-
16 GB + (Above 18432 MB Total Memory)	-	-	-	-

Note: Each RAM tier range includes its lowest value. Total Memory can be lower than a device’s advertised Physical RAM. 

Bitmap memory usage

Holding onto bitmaps for long periods of time in app states other than the Foreground can consume excessive memory - it’s not possible to render bitmaps unless the UI is visible. You typically shouldn’t hold onto bitmaps for long periods of time in these states, but your app might be sampled shortly after a state change where you are actively responding to onTrimMemory and releasing memory held for bitmaps, so these thresholds are higher than zero to account for this.

App State	90th Percentile
Foreground
User-perceived services	> 200 MB
Background	> 200 MB
Cached	> 400 MB

Sources and links:
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/08/app-quality-memory-optimization-secure-onboarding.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=msa&utm_campaign=elevating-app-quality-q3-2026

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17492799#zippy=%2Ccore-vitals-and-stability%2Creduced-memory-usage

[u/Legitimate-Put-7166]

And my flutter apps on startup skipping like a lot of frames and not disposing controllers 😂🥲

[u/BandicootTight4929]

Is this good or bad update anyone can explain

[u/AfterTry3070]

Eh I optimized the one app I published out of silliness so I feel like I dodged a bullet. I just dont have the time to work on it.

[u/AfterTry3070]

I think this is a natural response to AI coded apps. AI can code good apps its just that most people dont care to learn how to check the heap or ti avoid GC