Google Is Fixing Android’s RAM Problem. Could Microsoft Do the Same for Windows 11?

Windows 11 has improved considerably since its launch, but one criticism has remained consistent: the operating system can be demanding on system resources, especially on PCs with limited RAM.

That issue becomes increasingly important as Microsoft works on improving Windows 11 performance for lower-end hardware. The upcoming Windows 11 26H2 release is already being tested, and Microsoft has been experimenting with better memory management, performance diagnostics, and new ways to handle memory-constrained workloads.

Google is taking a different approach on Android.

Rather than relying entirely on developers to optimize their applications, Google is introducing specific memory and performance requirements for apps and games distributed through Google Play. Starting in February 2027, applications that fail to meet certain requirements could face consequences for their publishing capabilities and visibility.

That raises an interesting question: could Microsoft use a similar strategy to make Windows 11 software more efficient?

Windows 11 Still Has a Memory-Usage Problem

Windows 11 has always faced comparisons with other desktop operating systems, particularly macOS and Linux, when it comes to resource consumption.

The differences can become particularly noticeable on computers equipped with only 8GB of RAM. Modern browsers, background services, security software, cloud synchronization, and increasingly demanding applications can quickly consume a significant portion of available memory.

Microsoft appears to recognize the problem.

The company has confirmed that it is working on better memory optimization for Windows PCs with 8GB of RAM, improvements that could become more visible with future Windows 11 releases.

Windows 11 26H2 is already being tested, and Microsoft has also introduced or experimented with new performance-analysis tools that could help identify resource bottlenecks.

Another area Microsoft is investigating is unified memory management, particularly for demanding applications such as games and AI workloads.

These efforts could help Windows 11 deal more intelligently with systems where CPU, GPU, and application workloads are competing for a limited amount of memory.

But optimizing Windows itself is only part of the problem.

Third-party applications can consume enormous amounts of memory, and Microsoft has far less control over traditional desktop software than Google has over applications distributed through Google Play.

Google Is Taking a More Aggressive Approach

Google recently announced that Google Play will begin enforcing new memory and performance requirements for Android applications and games starting in February 2027.

The goal is to identify applications that consume excessive resources and encourage developers to optimize them before those problems become widespread across the Android ecosystem.

Google has described the situation as an approaching “ecosystem-wide memory crisis”, partly driven by rising RAM costs.

There is also an important difference between PCs and smartphones.

A desktop PC can often be upgraded with additional RAM. Depending on the system, a user can replace or add memory relatively easily.

Smartphones are different. Once you purchase a phone, its RAM capacity is generally fixed.

That makes efficient memory usage particularly important on mobile devices.

Google is therefore introducing measurable performance criteria instead of simply asking developers to optimize their applications.

Google Will Measure Three Major Areas

Google’s new requirements focus on three main areas:

• Dynamic memory usage
• Bitmap memory usage
• DEX code optimization

The company evaluates application behavior across multiple states, including when an app is:

• Running in the foreground
• Providing a user-perceived service
• Running in the background

The thresholds also depend on the amount of RAM available on the device.

That means an application isn’t judged by exactly the same memory limits on every Android phone.

8GB Android Devices Get Specific Memory Thresholds

For example, on devices with 8GB of RAM, Google’s requirements establish the following 90th-percentile memory thresholds for regular applications:

Games receive higher limits because modern games naturally require more memory for assets, textures, shaders, and other data.

The important point is that Google isn’t simply measuring whether an application can run.

It is examining how much memory the application consumes while doing so.

Bitmap Memory Can Become a Hidden Problem

Images are another potential source of unnecessary memory consumption.

An application might load a large number of images into memory and continue retaining them even after the corresponding interface elements are no longer visible.

That can result in memory being occupied by resources that the user isn’t currently using.

Google is therefore encouraging developers to release bitmap resources once they’re no longer necessary instead of keeping them in memory indefinitely.

For users, this type of optimization can have several benefits:

• Lower RAM consumption
• Fewer slowdowns
• Reduced background memory pressure
• Better multitasking
• Fewer crashes caused by insufficient memory

The improvements can be particularly noticeable on devices with limited RAM.

Google Is Also Targeting DEX Code

Memory consumption isn’t the only requirement being introduced.

Google is also adding a DEX code optimization requirement.

Beginning in February 2027, applications and games with sufficiently large DEX codebases will need to meet a 25% threshold for optimization, shrinking, and obfuscation.

Optimizing and shrinking application code can reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed and stored.

Google expects these improvements to potentially contribute to:

• Lower memory usage
• Faster application startup
• Fewer ANRs (Application Not Responding errors)
• Better runtime performance

This is significant because Google’s approach isn’t simply about limiting developers.

It is also encouraging developers to change how applications are built.

Android Vitals Will Help Developers Find Memory Problems

Google has also added additional information to Android Vitals, giving developers more visibility into application memory behavior.

Developers can use the new metrics to identify memory problems across different:

• RAM configurations
• Application states
• Performance conditions

Google has also introduced an out-of-memory filter for crashes and ANRs.

Developers can use this information to identify applications that are consuming excessive memory and determine whether particular RAM tiers or application states are responsible.

DEX optimization information and warnings about applications exceeding the new thresholds are also becoming part of the developer tooling.

In other words, Google is creating a feedback loop:

Measure → identify the problem → optimize → measure again.

That could eventually lead to more efficient Android applications across the ecosystem.

Could Microsoft Bring the Same Idea to Windows 11?

This is where things become interesting.

Microsoft could potentially adopt some elements of Google’s strategy for Windows 11, but there is one major obstacle:

Windows is considerably more open than Android.

Microsoft doesn’t control all software installed on a Windows PC.

Users can download traditional Win32 applications from websites, install portable software, use third-party package managers, and obtain applications from countless sources outside the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft therefore cannot realistically impose a Google Play-style performance requirement on every Windows application.

However, it doesn’t need to.

Microsoft already controls several important parts of the Windows ecosystem.

The Microsoft Store Is an Obvious Starting Point

Microsoft could establish stricter performance requirements for applications distributed through the Microsoft Store.

That would give the company a controlled environment where it could potentially introduce measurable requirements for:

• Memory consumption
• Startup performance
• Background resource usage
• CPU consumption
• Application responsiveness
• Crashes and hangs

Developers could then be given deadlines to address applications that consistently exceed those limits.

This would be considerably easier than attempting to regulate every traditional Windows application.

Windows Already Has Resource Management Mechanisms

The basic concept isn’t completely new to Microsoft.

Windows has included resource-management mechanisms for years.

Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform (UWP) was designed with memory limits and task priorities that allowed Windows to manage applications based on their current state.

An application running in the foreground could receive different treatment from an application running in the background, helping Windows prioritize resources for the task the user was actively performing.

Microsoft also maintains resource limits for Office Add-ins, where excessive resource consumption and poor performance can trigger warnings or other interventions.

So the underlying technology already exists.

What Microsoft could change is how aggressively it applies performance requirements to software within the Windows ecosystem.

Microsoft Already Has Performance Requirements for Store Apps

Microsoft’s Windows App Certification Kit already includes performance testing requirements for applications distributed through its ecosystem.

The company expects applications to function properly without relying on Windows compatibility modes, AppHelp messages, or compatibility fixes.

Microsoft also recommends that developers test applications on relatively low-powered hardware.

The company’s guidance has historically included testing on systems using processors such as Intel Atom, along with lower-resolution displays and even traditional hard drives rather than SSDs.

The reasoning is straightforward:

If an application performs well on weaker hardware, it is more likely to provide a good experience across a wider range of PCs.

Microsoft also provides developers with performance-related information through Partner Center analytics for published applications and games.

Microsoft Could Focus on Its Own Software First

Microsoft doesn’t necessarily need to regulate third-party Windows software to make a meaningful difference.

It could begin with software that it controls directly.

That would include applications and services such as:

• Microsoft Edge
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft 365 applications
• Microsoft Store
• Clipchamp
• Xbox applications
• Windows built-in utilities

This would be particularly important because users often expect Microsoft’s own applications to behave efficiently on Windows.

One example is Clipchamp, Microsoft’s video-editing application.

Microsoft has acknowledged that Clipchamp can experience performance and other issues on lower-end hardware. That illustrates why simply improving Windows’ memory management may not be enough.

If individual Microsoft applications remain resource-heavy, the overall experience can still suffer.

Why Microsoft Probably Can’t Copy Google Exactly

There is a fundamental difference between the two platforms.

Google controls the distribution rules for applications published through Google Play.

Microsoft doesn’t control the Windows desktop to the same degree.

A Windows user can download an application directly from a developer’s website and completely bypass the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft even allows users to configure Windows to permit applications from anywhere, although the company recommends installing software from the Microsoft Store to help protect the PC and maintain system performance.

That makes a universal Windows performance mandate unrealistic.

A desktop operating system is also expected to support decades of software compatibility, including legacy Win32 applications that may have been designed long before today’s memory and performance expectations existed.

Trying to enforce modern resource limits across that entire ecosystem could create significant compatibility problems.

A Microsoft Store Performance Standard Could Still Work

Microsoft could instead introduce a tiered approach.

For example, Store applications could eventually be expected to meet measurable standards for:

These would be examples of what such a system could look like, rather than announced Microsoft requirements.

The key advantage would be that Microsoft could enforce them within areas where it has direct control without attempting to regulate the entire Windows software ecosystem.

Better Windows Performance Needs More Than a Faster OS

Microsoft’s current work on Windows 11 memory optimization is important, particularly as PCs with 8GB of RAM continue to face increasingly demanding software.

But operating-system optimization alone cannot solve every performance problem.

If applications continually increase their memory footprint, Windows will always be fighting an uphill battle.

That’s why Google’s approach is interesting.

Instead of simply making Android better at handling inefficient applications, Google is also attempting to make developers build applications that consume fewer resources in the first place.

Microsoft could potentially apply the same philosophy to the parts of the Windows ecosystem it controls.

What This Could Mean for Windows 11 Users

If Microsoft adopted stricter performance standards for Store applications and its own software, the benefits could eventually include:

• Lower memory usage on 8GB PCs
• Faster application startup
• Better multitasking
• Fewer application freezes
• Reduced background CPU usage
• Better battery life on laptops
• More consistent performance on lower-end hardware

It could also help reduce the pressure to upgrade hardware simply because modern applications have become increasingly resource-intensive.

However, this wouldn’t eliminate the need for Microsoft’s broader Windows performance work.

Windows itself still has to manage background services, security features, system components, drivers, updates, and compatibility with decades of existing software.

The Bigger Problem: Software Is Getting Heavier

The broader issue extends beyond Windows 11.

Modern applications increasingly rely on large frameworks, embedded web technologies, high-resolution graphics, cloud services, AI features, background synchronization, and other components.

As a result, applications can become significantly more resource-intensive even when their basic functionality hasn’t changed dramatically.

More RAM can compensate for some of this growth, but it isn’t an unlimited solution.

Google’s new requirements recognize that developers also need to take responsibility for resource consumption.

Microsoft could benefit from adopting a similar philosophy where it has the authority to do so.

Final Thoughts

Windows 11’s performance problem isn’t simply about how much RAM the operating system uses. The entire software ecosystem contributes to the overall resource footprint of a PC.

Microsoft is already working on better memory management and performance optimization, particularly for systems with limited RAM. Windows 11 26H2 could bring some of these improvements to users.

But Google’s approach offers another possible lesson.

By measuring application behavior, establishing clear thresholds, and giving developers tools to identify memory problems, Google is attempting to address resource consumption at the application level rather than relying entirely on the operating system to compensate.

Microsoft cannot impose the same rules across every Windows application because the Windows desktop is intentionally more open. However, it could apply stricter requirements to Microsoft Store applications and its own software.

If Microsoft combines better Windows 11 memory management with more efficient applications, users could benefit from a noticeably lighter experience—especially on PCs with 8GB of RAM.

The bigger question is whether Microsoft will push developers toward that level of optimization, or continue relying primarily on Windows itself to manage increasingly demanding software.