Google to Android developers: use less RAM, or lose Play Store visibility

Google is adding a second enforcement tier to Android's per-app memory limits. The new one applies on the Play Store rather than the device, and could reduce visibility and publishing capabilities for noncompliant apps.

The policy was laid out in a post on the Android Developers blog on 19 August by Blair Harmon, Director of Product Management for Android Platform. Per-app memory limits arrived first in Android 17 on Pixel devices; the new push extends the framework to 4GB through 16GB+ devices across manufacturers.

Google attributes the push to industry-wide memory price increases, noting that device makers are maintaining or trimming physical RAM as a result. The Verge reports this year's base Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL ship with less RAM than last year's models, a likely accelerant.

The runtime layer is familiar: apps that breach the new thresholds will be slowed or terminated. The distribution layer is newer: per Google, "Apps and games that do not meet these thresholds may see reduced visibility and publishing capabilities on Google Play." 9to5Google lists dynamic memory and bitmap memory among the Play performance thresholds, with a third category not visible in the published excerpt. Android Authority confirms the February 2027 start.

Google has yet to publish the full Play-side enforcement details; additional information is promised later this year.