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How to check RAM on your Android smartphone
It’s important to know how to check the RAM in Android phones to understand how your device performs and manages applications. Whether you use a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, or any other Android smartphone, viewing and managing RAM usage helps ensure your phone runs efficiently. This guide will show you how to check and free up RAM on your Android device so your memory usage functions efficiently.
QUICK ANSWER
To check the RAM on your Android Phone, navigate to Settings > Device Care > Memory. Or you will have to enter developer mode to check it; go to Settings > About phone. Tap Build number seven times to enter developer mode, and then check the RAM in Developer options > Memory.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
How to check RAM usage on your Android phone
The pathway to checking your RAM usage will vary slightly on each Android phone. For instance, the process is much more straightforward on a Samsung Galaxy phone than a Google Pixel phone and a Realme phone. If you have a different device, the pathway will be similar to one of these methods. You can follow the same state outlined in the previous section to see how much RAM your Android device is currently using.
How to check RAM usage on a Google Pixel
Here’s how to check how much RAM your Google Pixel phone is using:
- Navigate to the settings app on your phone.
- Select About phone.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Build number seven times; you will see the “You are now a developer” notification appear.
- Go back to Settings > System.
- Select Developer options.
- Tap Memory.
- On the Memory use page, you will find the total memory of your phone. In this case, the Pixel 7 has 7.8 GB.
How to check RAM usage on a Realme
- Go to the settings app on your phone.
- Scroll down and tap About phone.
- Select Version.
- Tap Build number seven times; you will see the “You are now in Developer mode” message appear.
- Go back to settings, and select Additional settings.
- Choose Developer options.
- Tap Memory to see how much RAM is being used.
How to check RAM usage on a Samsung Galaxy
Here’s how to check how much RAM your Samsung Galaxy phone is using:
- Navigate to the settings app on your phone.
- Tap Battery and device Care.
- Select Memory.
- You will now see how much RAM is being used from your total memory.
How to free up RAM on your Android smartphone
For Samsung Galaxy phones, you can follow the same steps in the first section to get to the device’s Memory settings. Tap Optimize now or Clean now to free up memory.
On Google Pixel phones or most other Android phones, you will have to clear the cache of specific apps. See our guide on reducing RAM usage on Android for more tips and instructions.
FAQs
Yes, 8GB of RAM is more than enough for most Android users. It allows for efficient multitasking and smooth operation of resource-intensive applications. However, a device with 12GB or even 16GB of RAM might be more appropriate for heavy gamers or professional users who run highly demanding apps.
ZRAM is a compressed memory or ‘compressed cache’ in Android devices. When the RAM is full, instead of swapping out data to slower storage like a hard drive, ZRAM compresses it, allowing more data to be held in the same amount of RAM, effectively increasing its capacity.
Not necessarily. The RAM in itself doesn’t use more battery, but if more apps are kept open in the background (possibly with more RAM), they may consume more battery life. Still, the effect on battery life is usually minimal.
While you can’t physically add more RAM to an Android phone as you might with a desktop PC, there are ways to better manage the existing RAM. Apps that clear the RAM can help, as can regular restarts of the device. Some apps also claim to be able to increase your device’s RAM by using storage space as a kind of makeshift RAM, but their effectiveness varies. The best way to have more RAM is to buy a device with more RAM installed.