Google has announced that Android apps and games distributed through Google Play will face new technical quality requirements starting in February 2027, centered on how efficiently apps use device memory. The move, revealed on August 26, 2026, is aimed at improving performance and reducing crashes as rising component costs put pressure on the amount of RAM available in many devices.
The February 2027 rollout introduces two new “Android Vitals” metrics focused on memory. The first measures an app’s overall memory footprint using Anonymous Resident Set Size plus swap or zRAM usage. The second tracks memory consumed specifically by bitmaps, which can linger and bloat an app’s footprint if not released promptly. Thresholds vary depending on a device’s RAM tier; for example, on an 8 GB device, an app cannot use more than 2.25 GB in the foreground, or 1.5 GB while running background or user-perceived services.
Alongside memory limits, Google is introducing a DEX code optimization requirement. New app versions submitted from February 2027 must achieve at least 25 percent optimization, shrinking, and obfuscation of their DEX (Dalvik Executable) code, typically using tools such as R8. The rule mainly targets larger apps and games, applying once DEX code exceeds 10 MB for standard apps or 50 MB for games.
Google says the changes build on protections already introduced in Android 17, which added per-app memory limits starting on Pixel devices. The company expects more manufacturers to adopt similar limits across devices ranging from 4 GB to more than 16 GB of RAM over the coming year. Play Console will also add new diagnostic tools, including DEX optimization insights and proactive warnings for apps approaching the thresholds.
A separate requirement, unrelated to memory, will take effect in April 2027: apps will need to support “Zero Tap Sign In,” a feature intended to streamline credential restoration when users switch devices.
Google has framed the changes as a response to industry wide memory supply constraints, warning that unchecked app memory use could destabilize multitasking and performance across the Android ecosystem. Developers who fail to meet the February 2027 thresholds risk reduced visibility in Play Store search results and restrictions on publishing app updates.
