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).