Summary in 10 Seconds: The new structure offers a framework that aims to make memory usage of Android applications more predictable with common rules. The system consists of three pillars: common memory standard, intelligent warning in case of low memory, and rules that vary depending on the usage scenario. The compliance date given to developers is June 30, 2026. On the Android 17 side, application memory limits come into play depending on the total RAM amount of the device.
A common step is being taken by the manufacturer to solve problems such as lag, heating, closing of applications in the background and random crashes that have been disrupting the user experience on Android phones for years. The work, which is progressing under the umbrella of ITGSA, or Gold Standard Alliance, in China, plans to establish a new memory management system that coincides with Android 17. At the center is the new structure called fair memory mechanism.
Manufacturers are asking developers to review and optimize their applications according to this framework by June 30, 2026. It is stated that technical documentation and support will be provided on the brands’ developer platforms. What will the new memory rules change in phones? The starting point of this move is quite clear: as applications grow, the memory load increases, and manufacturer interfaces and hardware differences on the Android side make optimization difficult.
As a result, developer costs increase, testing time increases, and user fluency decreases. This is where application killings in the background, heating up and performance slowing down over time occur. The prepared mechanism consists of three basic parts. The first is a common standard that describes how much memory it is acceptable for applications to use. The second is a smarter warning structure that comes into play to help applications free up resources when system memory is running low.
The third is a set of rules that determine how these behaviors will work in different usage scenarios such as music, navigation, foreground and background. Thus, instead of each brand acting with its own interpretation, a more consistent framework will be created on the developer side. The remarkable thing is that this is not just an internal regulation of the manufacturers. In Android 17, Google also introduces new memory limits for applications based on the total amount of RAM of the device.
According to the official document, these limits are prepared specifically to catch excessive memory leaks and extreme examples at an early stage and to prevent consequences such as system-wide lag, battery consumption and closing the application by the system. Android 17 Beta 4 has now reached the final planned beta phase for compatibility tests. Therefore, the common standard on the manufacturer front and the base rules of Android 17 are looking in the same direction.
On the one hand, the operating system sets stricter limits, on the other hand, manufacturers give developers a common behavioral model. On paper, this dual structure; It prepares a ground that can reduce the feeling that the phone does not flow as well as the first day, which is especially common in the middle and upper-middle segment. How quickly this will be felt will depend on how quickly large applications complete the adaptation process.
ITGSA is not a new structure either. It has been positioned as an open and non-profit organization that has been establishing common standards for performance, stability, compatibility and efficiency in the mobile application ecosystem since 2021. The structure, which has previously published common standards in areas such as accessibility, also operates a certification-like visibility model for software that exceeds certain quality thresholds in application stores.
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