How to Check RAM on an Android Phone or Tablet

PDF download Download Article
Check your RAM usage on any Android device and free up memory
PDF download Download Article

Checking how much RAM your Android phone has is useful for gauging its performance, especially with games and high-resource apps. While you can no longer check RAM in the "Memory" section of the Settings app on many Android devices, you can use the hidden Developer Options menu to see your Android's RAM statistics. You can also use a free app called “Device Info" to view RAM and other system info. Samsung Galaxy owners can use the Device Care options. This wikiHow teaches you how to check your Android's RAM use and total capacity.

Check RAM on Android

  1. Open the Settings menu and tap About Phone .
  2. Tap the build number 7 times to activate Developer options.
  3. Open the Developer Options in the Settings menu.
  4. Tap Memory .
  5. Check your RAM usage.
Section 1 of 4:

Using a Samsung Galaxy

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Open your Android's Settings. To do so, swipe down from the top of the screen and then tap the Gear icon in the upper-right corner.
  2. The name of this option varies depending on which model you have.
    • You may have to scroll down to view this feature.
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Tap Memory . At the top of the screen, you'll see the total amount of RAM your phone has available. Below that, you will see how much RAM your phone is currently using compared to how much it has in total. Below that, you will see how much RAM each app is using. [1]
    • To free up RAM, tap the Clear now option.
    4. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

Using Developer Options

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Open your Android's Settings. You'll find this gear-shaped icon in your app list.
  2. You'll find it at the bottom of the Settings menu. [2]
  3. This will result in a message that says "You are now a developer!" appearing at the bottom of the screen.
    • If you don't see the "You are now a developer!" message appear, keep tapping the "Build number" heading until you see it.
    • If you're on a Samsung Galaxy Android, you must tap Software information to access your build number.
  4. Use your Android's "Back" key to do so. [3]
    • On a Samsung Galaxy or any other Android on which you opened a menu inside the About menu, you'll tap the "Back" key twice.
  5. 5
    Locate the “Developer options” menu setting. Depending on what phone model you have, you’ll find this option on the root Settings menu, under System, or in Additional Settings.
  6. This will be in one of the menu options in the Settings menu.
    • If you can’t find this option, you can tap the magnifying glass and search “Developer options.”
  7. This option's name and location vary by model. You may have to scroll down to find one of these options.
    • Some phone models allow you to enable a memory usage profile. This will allow you to view your average memory usage, your total memory, available memory, and your average percentage usage. If you see this option, tap the toggle switch next to “Enable Memory Usage Profile” and then tap “Restart” to restart your phone.
  8. In the "Memory" menu, look for information about your Android's RAM usage and total capacity. [4]
  9. 9
    Tap Memory usage . This displays a list of apps ordered by the amount of memory they consume. [5]
    10. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

Using Device Info

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Download and install the Device Info app. This is a free and simple app you can use to monitor your phone or tablet’s system resource usage. Use the following steps to download and install Device Info:
    • Open the Google Play Store .
    • Enter “Device Info” in the search bar at the top.
    • Tap Device Info: System & CPU info .
    • Tap Install .
  2. 2
    Open Device Info. It has a blue icon with an image that resembles a smartphone with a gear and wrench on the screen. Tap the Device Info app on your Home screen or Apps menu. Alternatively, you can tap Open in the Google Play Store when it finishes downloading.
  3. 3
    Tap the Memory tab. It’s one of the tabs at the top. You may have to swipe left on the menu bar at the top to get to it. This tab shows you what type of memory chip your phone has, how much memory you are using, the percentage, and the total amount of memory you have.
    4. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

Freeing up Memory

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Keep your phone updated. Be sure to enable automatic updates. Keeping your phone up-to-date ensures that it runs smoothly and efficiently.
  2. 2
    Clean or optimize your RAM on a Samsung Galaxy. If you are using a Samsung Galaxy phone, the Memory menu in Device Care has an option to optimize or clear up your RAM usage.
  3. 3
    Close the apps you are not using. If you are not using an app, you can close it. To do so, open the Recent Apps menu by tapping the icon with three lines (Samsung Galaxy) or swiping up from the bottom of the screen (other Android models) and swiping up on apps you are not using.
  4. 4
    Free up some storage space. If your storage space is almost full, you may be using a lot of RAM. Delete some apps you no longer use. You can also clear out any photos or videos you no longer need. [6]
  5. 5
    Reduce or remove animations. You can reduce or remove animations in the Accessibility option in the Settings menu. Check under “Display”, “Vision Enhancements,” or “Color and Motion.” Disabling or reducing animations can reduce the amount of RAM your phone uses.
  6. 6
    Disable live wallpapers. If you are using live wallpapers or papers with animations, you can reduce the amount of RAM your device uses.
  7. 7
    Reduce the number of widgets you use. If you have a lot of widgets on your Home screen, they may be using up a lot of RAM by running in the background. Remove or disable some of your widgets.
    8. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I check that my phone is under stock or custom ROM?
    Community Answer
    Sometimes, you can get the information about the ROM in Settings>About Phone. If not, you can contact your phone company.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 12 Helpful 12
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      wikiHow Video: How to Check Android RAM Easily

      Watch


      Tips

      • RAM is usually referred to as "Memory" whereas the hard drive is referred to as "Storage", though some sources may use "Memory" to refer to both RAM and hard drive capacity.
        Thanks
        Helpful 11 Not Helpful 3
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Unfortunately, Android Oreo removed the option to view your RAM from the Settings app's usual settings on stock Android.
        Thanks
        Helpful 7 Not Helpful 7
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Add Widgets on Android
      3 Ways to Unlock an Android Tablet
      How to
      Check What Android Version You Have
      How to
      See a WiFi Password on Android With or Without a QR Code
      How to
      Find Your Phone Number on Android
      How to
      Hide Apps on Android
      How to
      Connect Android Phone to Computer
      Install Custom ROMs on Any Android Phone with Our Step-by-Step Guide
      How to
      Block All Incoming Calls on an Android Phone
      4 Simple Ways to Turn Off Safe Mode on Any Android
      How to
      Change Number of Rings on Android
      How to
      Use MMI and USSD Codes for Android
      How to
      Copy an Entire Text Conversation on Android
      How to
      Use an Android TV Box: Connecting, Setup, & More
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://android.gadgethacks.com/how-to/find-whats-eating-up-your-ram-android-0286762/
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAcFnZ6cUg
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAcFnZ6cUg
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAcFnZ6cUg
      5. ↑ https://www.upphone.com/learn/check-ram-usage-on-android/
      6. ↑ https://support.google.com/android/answer/7431795

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      "The easiest way to find out how much RAM is being used on your Android is to use a free app called Simple System Monitor. Although this app won't tell you how much RAM each app consumes, it's great for a general overview. To download the app, open the Google Play Store, tap the search bar, and search for "" Simple System Monitor."" Select ""Simple System Monitor"" in the search results—the app has a blue icon with a white triangular waveform inside. Tap ""Install."" When the download is complete, tap ""Open"" to launch it. Tap the ""Ram"" tab at the top to display your total amount of RAM, as well as how much is in use. If you have a Samsung Galaxy, you can also use the built-in Device Care app to see RAM usage. Open your Apps list and tap the ""Settings"" app. Select ""Device care"" or ""Device maintenance"" on the menu—the name varies by model. Now, tap ""Memory"" to view the total amount of RAM in your phone or tablet, as well as RAM usage per app. If your phone or tablet is running slow, you can tap ""CLEAN NOW"" to free up RAM. Another option is to enable your Android's secret Developer Options menu, which can be done on nearly any Android model. First, your Android's Settings and tap ""About phone"" or ""About tablet."" Next, scroll to the ""Build number"" option—if you're using a Samsung Galaxy, tap ""Software info"" first. Once you find it, tap ""Build number"" 7 times—after the 7th tap, you'll see a message that says ""You are now a developer."" Now, tap the back button to return to the main Settings menu, and then tap ""Developer options."" Depending on your model, you'll see an option called ""Memory"" or ""Running services"" –tap that option to see the total amount of RAM, as well as the amount in use. You can tap ""Memory usage"" to break down the RAM usage by app. For more tips, including how to download an app to check the RAM on your Android phone, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,042,674 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement