Your Android device well-nigh likely came with 64GB (or more) of storage, but it'due south the RAM that really affects what you can do with it. Most loftier-end Android devices transport with 2GB or more of RAM, just some cheaper devices might have just 1GB of RAM or even 512MB in some cases.

But can you lot add RAM to a phone like you lot tin can with a PC?

Why Does Your Phone Need More RAM?

The importance of additional RAM cannot be overstated.

While more than storage space gives you lot more media and app storage, additional RAM helps the processor to work faster. This aids media cosmos and playback also as running apps and games more efficiently.

For instance, some playback problems are erroneously blamed on a slow internet connection. In truth, they could exist speeded up with additional RAM, rather than faster wireless.

How Does RAM Swapping Increase Phone RAM?

On a desktop computer or laptop, you can dedicate a portion of hard disk infinite to increase RAM. This is known as a swap file and takes reward of gratuitous space on your HDD or SSD when RAM fills upward. Rather than discard the information, it is stored on your drive.

Windows 10 has advanced bandy file management which mean you will probably never need to arrange the settings. If you did, however, you would be able to increment the portion of your HDD or SSD allocated for swap file purposes.

The same tin can exist done on Android to finer increment RAM.

While the underlying principle is the same, the execution of this on Android differs. You'll demand dedicated software to make it piece of work. You'll too need to root your device.

By default, certain files and permissions are blocked in Android. By rooting the device, you gain control of the entire operating system and hardware. This enables you to admission otherwise restricted files and hardware, besides as install and run specialist software.

While easier than information technology used to be, rooting can be a hard process. Only if you want to increase RAM on your Android phone or tablet, it is necessary to root the device first.

What You Demand to Increment Android Phone or Tablet RAM

Using the swap file method of increasing RAM on Android has three main components:

  • A quality microSD card (course 4 or higher is best)
  • A rooted Android phone or tablet
  • An app for managing the swap file

While rooting Android is straightforward, it may not be enough. Some phones (e.one thousand. the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4) limit swap file size at the kernel level. This means that no amount of rooting and swap file management volition increase RAM on your Android.

Instead, you'll demand to purchase a new phone.

To save time investigating whether you tin can manually increase Android RAM, utilise a checking app. A good example is MemoryInfo & Swapfile Bank check.

Download: MemoryInfo & Swapfile Check (Free)

Simply run the app and tap Beginning RAMExpander Test Here to begin checking. If increasing the bandy file is possible, the app will indicate this with a bulletin of "Congratulations", along with the maximum possible increase.

You lot'll find that this is a useful utility that also lists various RAM and storage details.

Choose a Good Quality SD Card to Increment RAM

If your phone or tablet'southward swap file tin can be tweaked, it's time to consider your phone's microSD card. As noted above, this needs to be a fast and resilient card.

Don't only buy any one-time microSD menu. Instead, spend a fiddling extra on some storage that is more resilient, which will consequence in better reliability. Check the rating on box when buying a new microSD carte - Class 4 minimum is recommended, just Class x is the all-time.

And exist sure to watch out for fake microSD cards. Bad quality SD cards bring several disadvantages to your Android phone

Beware: Using an SD card to increment RAM in your Android device will issue reduced lifespan of the media.

Information technology is important to notation that some phones volition non permit external storage (your microSD card) to be used for bandy file. If your phone has sufficient internal storage, however, this can be used instead, but its lifespan can be similarly reduced.

Two Apps That Increase RAM on Android Phones and Tablets

While it is possible to manually specify the swap file on your Android device, you might find it easier to use an app:

  • Swapper - ROOT (Gratuitous)
  • Free Swapper for Root (Free)
  • AMemoryBoost (Swap enabler) (Gratuitous)

Note that these are all advertising-supported options.

Both apps work in the same way:

  1. Launch the app
  2. Create a swap file
  3. Specify the size of the required swap file
  4. Choose the location for the swap file (external microSD menu or internal storage)
  5. Wait for the swap file to be created

You may need to reboot your phone after completion for the swap file to initialize.

Remember to leave the app installed for every bit long as you require the swap file to work.

No Root? Practise Amend Android Memory Management

If your phone cannot be rooted, or your phone'due south manufacturer has placed limits on manual bandy file management, all is non lost.

Gaining a better thought of Android memory direction can make information technology seem every bit if you take increased RAM without doing then. This involves things like using lightweight versions of apps, uninstalling apps you no longer use, and avoiding things similar RAM boosters and task killers. These don't work quite as described---if anything, they run in the background, actively using RAM!

Find out more in our guide to managing retention on Android.

Does Increasing RAM Ameliorate Your Android's Functioning?

If you've been successful in allocating a portion of your phone'due south SD carte du jour to RAM, you should instant results. If yous're a keen mobile gamer, you should observe that games previously incompatible will now run.

Beyond this, the device should exist more useful and productive than ever. This comes with a trade-off, however.

You lot now need to keep an middle on your storage. This is now substantially smaller than earlier, cheers to the swap file allocation. With less infinite dedicated to files and media, it volition fill up quicker than expected. Avoid this by keeping your data synced to your favorite mobile cloud storage.

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About The Author

Christian Cawley (1585 Articles Published)

Deputy Editor for Security, Linux, DIY, Programming, and Tech Explained, and Actually Useful Podcast producer, with all-encompassing experience in desktop and software support. A contributor to Linux Format magazine, Christian is a Raspberry Pi tinkerer, Lego lover and retro gaming fan.

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