When Google first released Android 4.4 KitKat on October 31, 2013, there was something utterly different in the operating system lurking beneath the surface. It’s called ART, which stands for Android Runtime, and below we’ll explain how to make it instantly speed up your Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, Note 3, or any other Android 4.4 KitKat device.
Android smartphones and tablets, especially those with powerful quad-core processors and 2GB of RAM, are pretty fast and fluid these days. However, users are always trying to get the latest performance from their devices, not to mention that this quick change in ART can also dramatically increase battery life.
Below we will briefly explain what ART is and why is it so importantHere’s what to change in Android 4.5 (or 5.0) L, announced at Google I/O last week, and how to activate it on the device you currently have to start enjoying the benefits early.
Android 4.4 was the first Android version to see ART, but Google has confirmed that it will be the default system used on Android with the next version coming out this fall. So what is it and why is it so important? We’ll try to explain it in a somewhat technical but simple way, then we’ll show you how to change it on your own device.
Since the first Android smartphone was released in 2008, Google has been using ‘Dalvik’ and the JIT compiler. This means Just in Time and is how the code for an Android game or application is compiled into a program that can be opened and used on your device. Tap Netflix or Facebook and the Dalvik JIT compiler converts the code into a usable application and then opens. Every time we open any app on our Android device, it needs to be converted and then initialized using Dalvik JIT. Converts “Just in time” for use.
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In the next version of Android L coming this fall, or any Android 4.4 KitKat device that has migrated the system from Dalvik to ART, these apps will open almost twice as fast and save battery life. What does ART use? Google searches It’s a “pre-” compiler and is converted every time application code is loaded. This means that when you tap to open Netflix or Facebook, everything is already converted and the app launches instantly.
This gives users a better and faster experience, as the loading point or splash screen (which many iOS users may be familiar with) will no longer be needed when opening an app. On Android 4.4 and above, ART launches the app instantly. Our smartphones and tablets are faster, and as a result, when you open an app hundreds of times each day, less work is done and battery life can also improve significantly.
This comes with a small expense. Applications compiled with ART take up more space because compiling the code makes the installed application larger. But the increase is minimal and the speed/battery improvements are worth it.
Instructions
The new Android ART runtime is not enabled by default in Android 4.4 or even the latest Android 4.4. Google has been slowly improving over the last two years and is now ready for prime time. All users have to do is go to Developer Options in the settings menu, go to “Choose runtime” and change the device from Dalvik to ART and allow the phone or tablet to reboot. It only takes a few seconds to find it in the settings.
First you need to access the hidden developer options menu in Android. The guide linked above explains this. Essentially go to settings (gear-shaped icon) and scroll to the bottom and tap on “About phone” (or software for HTC devices) and you will want to tap 7 times where it shows “Build number”. This little trick will unlock the “developer options” menu.
It seems strange, but the developer options menu has tons of settings that the average user shouldn’t bother with, so Google hid it. However, ART is a safe setting to change, but as always, be careful and do so at your own risk.
After doing the above and accessing the “Developer Options” menu, you will see “Choose runtime” as the 3rd or 4th option in the list. Tap here and change your Android 4.4 (or higher) Android smartphone or tablet from Dalvik to “USE ART”. The changes will not take effect until you restart the device.
As we mentioned above, changing Android Runtime to ART will take up more space, but most users with a newer Android 4.4 device will be fine. Your device will need to reboot after changing this setting and you may have to wait 5-10 minutes while each app is converted (one last time) using ART during this process. This makes it completely compatible. There’s a progress meter, so don’t worry if it takes longer than expected.
All app data is completely safe, nothing will be lost and on reboot you will be able to feel and see the difference.
Your smartphone or tablet will finish converting every installed app to new Runtime, restart and that’s it. You’re done! Now every time you install an app it will do the same thing, thus speeding up your device and also increasing battery life. Here are the same settings on HTC One M8.
For those new to Android this process may take more than a few seconds, but anyone familiar with the settings menu can quickly enable the developer options menu, change the runtime to ART, reboot and start enjoying the benefits. second.
You should do it?
Using ART is the future of Android. The next major update coming this fall will use ART by default, and the legacy Dalvik that every device uses today will be migrated to ART. This may require additional 10-20% storage on your smartphone, but users will benefit greatly from the speed and battery improvements.
However, some (few and remote) apps are NOT compatible with ART. Of the 180+ apps I have installed on my smartphones and tablets, only one app has been incompatible with ART so far. You will know this because it will simply crash when trying to open it. If any user has apps they can’t live without and it’s not working, follow the steps above and revert to the old Dalvik method.
Almost all apps work great with ART, and considering this is the future of Android, we can expect all developers to make the appropriate changes if they haven’t already.
Give it a try today and enjoy a better, faster and smoother experience!
