Google tells Android app developers to cool it on memory use, or else

Google says it will begin enforcing new Android app memory-use limits through the Play Store, citing industry-wide hardware constraints and Android’s broader RAM limits. Developers whose apps fail to meet the new memory restrictions will face consequences, following limits first introduced with Android 17 on Pixel phones.

The move signals that platform owners are becoming more aggressive about app efficiency as hardware costs and RAM availability pressure the mobile ecosystem. Stricter Play Store enforcement could push developers to optimize earlier, making performance discipline a competitive requirement rather than a nice-to-have.