The Android operating system brings the power of computing to everyone. This
vision applies to all users, including those on entry-level phones that face
real constraints across data, storage, memory, and more. When Android (Go
edition) was
first announced in 2017
,
entry-level phones accounted for more than half of all device shipments
globally.
With this in mind, Android (Go edition) helps to provide an optimized experience for
low-RAM devices. By tailoring the OS configuration and making key trade-offs,
we're able to improve speed and performance for low-end devices and offer a
quality phone experience for people around the world.
Android (Go edition) helps to fulfill our mission: to empower people with
affordable, reliable smartphones and the opportunities they enable.
Android (Go edition) specifications
Android (Go edition) is a mobile operating system built for entry-level smartphones with
less RAM than standard in higher-end devices. Android (Go edition) runs much lighter and
saves data, letting Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) build affordable,
entry-level devices that empower people with possibility.
Minimum hardware requirements
There are minimum RAM requirements for devices to run Android (Go edition), depending on
the version of Android you are running. For a list of these requirements, see
the following table. For full Android (Go edition) device capability specifications, see
Optimize for devices running Android (Go edition)
.
Release
|
Android 8.1
(API level 27)
|
Android 9
(API level 28)
|
Android 10
(API level 29)
|
Android 11
(API level 30)
|
Android 12
(API level 31)
|
Android 13
(API level 33)
|
Min RAM
|
512MB
|
512MB
|
512MB
|
1GB
|
1GB
|
2GB
|
Android (Go edition) as an operating system is optimized for these constraints. With a
kernel that understands app priority, Android (Go edition) reclaims program memory
without impacting the end-user experience, making app usage and navigation
seamless.
Differences from Android
Android (Go edition) is part of the main Android platform and is simply a configuration of
Android platform OS. Any app built for the main Android platform can
technically run on Go. However, be mindful that there are significant built-in
performance, network, and battery limitations. Remember, even if your app
complies with the hardware specifications of a given device, including features
that aren't supported by Android (Go edition) can cause compatibility issues.
The following features are disabled by default on Android (Go edition):
- Picture-in-picture support
- System alert Window permission (draw over other apps)
- Split-screen or multi-screen window
- Live wallpapers
- Multi-display
- Shortcuts or deep shortcuts in the launcher
- Reduced maximum width and height of any image in remote view
- VR mode
What's new
We're constantly making phones powered by Android (Go edition) more accessible with
additional performance optimizations and features for entry-level devices, like
translation, app switching, and data saving.
For more information on the recent development additions,
see
Android 13 (Go edition): Easier to update and tailored just for you)
.