RAM on our phones act pretty much the same way as our computers, where how fast our phones feel, how long apps take to launch, whether or not they can stay open in the background without having to relaunch, are determined (in part) by the RAM. This is why when it comes to choosing a phone, we cannot just look at things like clock speeds.
That being said, Android smartphones don’t typically display how much RAM they have, at least not in an obvious way. Sure, you could check the specs of your phone online, but you can also check it in your phone itself, and here’s how.
Check How Much RAM Your Android Phone Has
Method 1
- Launch the Settings app
- Scroll down and select About Phone
- Scroll down and under Build number, tap on it about five times in rapid succession
- “You are now a developer” message should appear
- Go back to the main Settings menu and select System
- Tap on Developer Options
- Under Memory, it should show you how much RAM you have and how much is currently in use
Method 2
- Download the Simple System Monitor app from Google Play
- Launch the app
- Tap the RAM tab
- At the bottom it will show you how much RAM you have and how much is currently being used
Freeing Up RAM On Your Android Phone
There might be a time when you realize your phone is starting to feel a bit sluggish in terms of performance. This could be due to several factors, but hitting the upper limits of your phone’s RAM could be a reason, so clearing these apps could potentially help (more on that later).
- Launch the Recent Apps window
- Swipe the apps away to clear them individually or tap the “Clear All” or “X” button to clear all recent apps
Why It Might Actually Be A Bad Idea To Clear Your RAM
It sounds like clearing your phone’s RAM should help it free up memory to allow the phone to run smoother, but in reality, it might not always be the case. This is because unlike our computers, how Android handles RAM is actually pretty smart. It knows when you’re reaching the limits and can suspend applications and remove unused apps from the RAM to help free up space.
This is why sometimes when you open an app that you had previously used, it might be relaunched from scratch instead of picking up from where you previously left off, which brings us to our next time.
By clearing your phone’s RAM and recent applications, it means that all your apps will need to be relaunched from scratch. This could result in apps taking longer times to load, not to mention it also has the potential to drain even more battery every time it gets reloaded as it is treated like a brand new launch.
So while clearing your RAM might not be a bad idea every once in a while and could have some benefits, it might not be a good idea to do it all the time.