Google Play to enforce app memory limits in Feb 2027, sign-in in April

Google is implementing new technical quality requirements for Android apps and games on its Play Store, with enforcement beginning in February 2027. The changes, announced on August 27, 2026, establish strict thresholds for memory usage and code optimization, followed by a separate requirement for automatic sign-in during device transfers in April 2027. Apps that fail to meet these standards may face reduced visibility and publishing capabilities on Google Play.

The move is a response to what Google describes as significant hardware supply constraints affecting the amount of memory available on mobile devices. Android 17 introduced per-app memory limits, initially on Pixel devices, and Google has stated that an increasing number of Android manufacturers will adopt these limits across devices ranging from 4GB to more than 16GB of RAM. Applications that exceed the system-level limits can be slowed down and, if memory consumption continues to rise, terminated. Google Play's new requirements build on these protections by establishing measurable thresholds across dynamic memory usage, bitmap memory usage, and DEX code optimization.

The memory limits vary depending on whether the...