{"id":645451,"date":"2026-06-18T14:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/645451\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T14:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:46:13","slug":"i-freed-up-2gb-of-ram-by-changing-one-android-setting-and-my-pixels-been-flying-ever-since","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/645451\/","title":{"rendered":"I freed up 2GB of RAM by changing one Android setting, and my Pixel’s been flying ever since"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, I\u2019ve tried practically every method of improving my phone\u2019s battery life. From tweaking my battery settings to uninstalling power-hungry apps, I can make any Android phone I own last for all day or more.<\/p>\n

However, I recently rediscovered a way to improve my phone\u2019s battery life<\/a> that involved a single toggle. <\/p>\n

Hidden in the developer settings, this setting has not only improved my phone\u2019s battery life, it has also boosted my phone\u2019s performance. I\u2019ll take any boost I can get when I\u2019m rocking a Tensor-equipped Pixel.<\/p>\n

\"AndroidQuiz8 Questions \u00b7 Test Your KnowledgeHidden Android settings
Trivia challenge<\/p>\n

From secret menus to buried toggles \u2014 how well do you really know Android’s hidden side?<\/p>\n

DeveloperEaster EggsHidden MenusSettingsSecrets<\/p>\n

Begin<\/p>\n

How do you unlock the hidden Developer Options menu on most modern Android devices?<\/p>\n

ATriple-tap the Android version number in About PhoneBTap the Build Number seven times in About PhoneCLong-press the System Update option for five secondsDEnable USB debugging from the Security settings<\/p>\n

That’s right! Tapping Build Number seven times in About Phone unlocks Developer Options. You’ll usually see a countdown message like ‘You are now 3 steps away from being a developer’ as you tap. This hidden menu gives access to powerful tools like USB debugging, mock locations, and animation scale controls.<\/p>\n

Not quite \u2014 the correct method is tapping the Build Number seven times in About Phone. This Easter egg has been present since Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and Google added it partly as a playful nod to developers who know where to look. Once unlocked, Developer Options appears as a new menu item in your main Settings.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What hidden Easter egg appears when you repeatedly tap the Android version number in Settings on Android 12?<\/p>\n

AA flappy bird-style mini gameBA spinning clock face that reveals hidden textCAn interactive clock that unlocks a wallpaper painting toolDA hidden Tetris-style game using the notification shade<\/p>\n

Correct! Android 12’s Easter egg features an interactive clock that you can long-press to unlock a colorful painting and doodling tool. Each major Android version has hidden its own unique Easter egg in this same spot. It’s one of Google’s longest-running traditions, dating back to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.<\/p>\n

Not quite. Android 12 hides an interactive clock in the version number screen \u2014 long-pressing it unlocks a fun painting tool. The flappy bird Easter egg actually appeared in Android 5.x Lollipop, while other versions have featured zombies, cats, and abstract art animations. Google sneaks a new surprise into every major release.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What is the primary purpose of the hidden ‘Running Services’ screen found inside Developer Options?<\/p>\n

AIt shows a list of all installed APK files and their signing certificatesBIt displays currently active background processes and their RAM usageCIt reveals apps that have been granted root access on the deviceDIt lists all scheduled alarms and pending background sync jobs<\/p>\n

Spot on! The Running Services screen shows you every active background process along with how much RAM each one is consuming. It’s a powerful diagnostic tool that Android has carried for many years, though it’s been progressively hidden deeper in settings as Google has tightened background process management. Tapping any entry lets you stop that service directly.<\/p>\n

The correct answer is that Running Services displays active background processes and their RAM usage. It’s essentially a live task manager tucked away inside Developer Options, and it can help diagnose battery drain or slowdowns caused by rogue background apps. Google has moved it deeper over the years as part of its push to manage background activity automatically.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What hidden feature is accessible by dialing *#*#4636#*#* in the Android phone dialer?<\/p>\n

AA factory reset confirmation screenBA testing menu showing phone info, usage stats, and Wi-Fi detailsCA network signal strength booster toolDA hidden SIM card management and unlock panel<\/p>\n

Correct! Dialing *#*#4636#*#* opens a hidden testing menu with detailed phone information, battery stats, usage statistics, and Wi-Fi connection details. These are called USSD codes, and Android inherited the concept from older feature phones. The menu varies slightly by manufacturer but generally exposes diagnostic data not surfaced in standard settings.<\/p>\n

The answer is a hidden testing menu covering phone info, battery stats, usage data, and Wi-Fi details. The code *#*#4636#*#* is one of several USSD diagnostic codes that work on Android devices. Another well-known one is *#*#7780#*#* which initiates a factory data reset \u2014 so you definitely want to dial those carefully.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Which Developer Options setting is most useful for identifying apps that slow down Android’s UI by doing too much work on the main thread?<\/p>\n

AShow GPU overdrawBStrict mode enabledCProfile GPU renderingDDisable HW overlays<\/p>\n

Exactly right! Strict Mode makes the screen flash when an app performs long operations on the main UI thread, such as reading files or accessing a network synchronously. It’s a developer debugging tool that visually flags violations in real time. Enabling it on your own device can reveal how well-optimised \u2014 or poorly coded \u2014 your installed apps actually are.<\/p>\n

The answer is Strict Mode. It causes the screen to flash whenever an app blocks the main thread with slow operations, which is a common cause of UI jank and stuttering. Show GPU overdraw and Profile GPU rendering are more useful for diagnosing graphics rendering issues, while Disable HW overlays forces all compositing through the GPU rather than dedicated hardware.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What does the hidden ‘System UI Tuner’ in older versions of Android (6.0 to 11) allow users to do?<\/p>\n

AChange the default system font without a third-party appBCustomise the status bar icons and Quick Settings tilesCUnlock hidden dark mode options before they were officially addedDAdjust screen refresh rate independently of the display settings<\/p>\n

That’s correct! System UI Tuner, unlocked by long-pressing the gear icon in the Quick Settings panel, lets users rearrange or hide status bar icons and deeply customise Quick Settings tiles. Google quietly removed it in Android 12, likely because it became hard to maintain as the UI evolved. Many of its features have since been absorbed into standard settings or third-party launchers.<\/p>\n

The right answer is that System UI Tuner lets you customise status bar icons and Quick Settings tiles. You unlocked it by long-pressing the settings gear icon inside the Quick Settings dropdown. Google removed it in Android 12 without much fanfare, frustrating power users who relied on it to hide the battery percentage, clock, or carrier label from their status bar.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What happens when you long-press on a blank area of the Android home screen and navigate to ‘Home Settings’ on stock Android (Pixel)?<\/p>\n

AYou gain access to a hidden icon shape customiser exclusive to Pixel devicesBYou can enable a secret ‘Desktop Mode’ that mirrors a PC-style layoutCYou access options including notification dots, Google Feed toggle, and icon layout tweaksDYou unlock a battery optimisation panel tied to home screen widgets<\/p>\n

Correct! Long-pressing the home screen and tapping Home Settings on stock Android reveals options like toggling the Google Discover feed, enabling or disabling notification dots on app icons, and adjusting home screen grid density. These settings are tucked away in a context menu rather than the main Settings app, making them easy to miss entirely.<\/p>\n

The answer is that Home Settings exposes options like the Google Feed toggle, notification dots, and home screen layout adjustments. It’s one of those menus that many Android users never discover because it’s not reachable from the main Settings app at all. The hidden Desktop Mode you may have heard about is a separate experimental feature tied to Developer Options and external display connections.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Which hidden Developer Options toggle, when enabled, forces all apps to use a dark background regardless of whether they officially support dark mode?<\/p>\n

AOverride force-darkBDisable HWUI renderingCForce RTL layout directionDSimulate colour space<\/p>\n

Absolutely correct! The ‘Override force-dark’ toggle in Developer Options instructs Android to apply a dark theme to any app that hasn’t officially implemented one, using an automatic colour inversion algorithm. Results can be inconsistent \u2014 images and some UI elements may look strange \u2014 but it’s a handy way to extend dark mode to stubborn apps while developers catch up. It appeared in Android 10 alongside the official system-wide dark mode.<\/p>\n

The correct answer is ‘Override force-dark,’ which forces Android to apply dark mode to apps that haven’t officially added support for it. The system does this by algorithmically inverting light colours, with mixed results depending on the app. ‘Simulate colour space’ is a different useful hidden tool \u2014 it emulates how the screen looks to people with various forms of colour blindness, which is helpful for accessibility testing.<\/p>\n

See My Score<\/p>\n

Challenge CompleteYour Score<\/p>\n

\/ 8<\/p>\n

Thanks for playing!<\/p>\n

Try Again<\/p>\n

Understand background activity before you disable it<\/p>\n

Changing this setting will impact how your phone works<\/p>\n

The trick I use now to improve any Android phone\u2019s battery life involves setting the number of allowed background processes to zero.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s a common misconception around background processes that needs to be cleared up first.<\/p>\n

Preventing background processes from running will not prevent you from receiving notifications from your phone app, messages app, and apps like Facebook and Gmail.<\/p>\n

\"Showing<\/p>\n

These apps will still check and send notifications because they use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), which sends push notifications to these apps from FCM servers. This action is not a background process, confusing as that may sound.<\/p>\n

A better name for the setting would perhaps be \u201cCached background process limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll dive into what this means later in this article, but for now, all you need to know is that stopping background processes will not impact the majority of your notifications. It merely clears out cached data<\/a> that\u2019s not being used. <\/p>\n

Limit background processes and boost battery life and performance<\/p>\n

It takes less than a minute<\/p>\n

The first thing to do is to enable developer options:<\/p>\n

Open the Settings app.<\/p>\n

Scroll down and tap About Phone<\/p>\n

Scroll down and tap Build number seven times until you see the pop-up message.<\/p>\n

Now, head to Developer options in the System sub-menu of the settings app. Scroll down and tap Background process limit (you can also search for this setting to find it quicker).<\/p>\n

\"developer\"background<\/p>\n

By default, this setting is set to Standard limit. This limit varies between manufacturers but is roughly 20 background processes. Change it to No background processes.<\/p>\n

You should now notice a small boost in battery life and performance. But how does it work?<\/p>\n

See in real time how background processes impact your phone<\/p>\n

Background processes use gigabytes of RAM<\/p>\n

The effect of changing settings that impact battery life can be hard to quantify. Yes, you might notice an improvement, but how do you know that\u2019s not just a placebo effect?<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s a nifty way to see the exact impact of limiting background processes.<\/p>\n

Before limiting background processes (if you\u2019ve already done it, just reset the setting and restart your phone), go to the Running Services setting in Developer options.<\/p>\n

Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of your screen and select Show cached processes.<\/p>\n

\"running\"running<\/p>\n

Notice the value next to Cached under the device memory bar. This value represents the memory we\u2019re freeing up.<\/p>\n

Running Services is also a great place to check for specific apps that might be hogging your RAM in the background.<\/p>\n

Take a screenshot of this screen, repeat the steps for limiting background processes, and return here.<\/p>\n

You should now notice a drastic reduction in the cached background processes. This screen updates in real time, so you may even see it drop to zero.<\/p>\n

In my case, 2GB of RAM was freed up. However, it\u2019s worth noting that the amount of memory background processes use fluctuates rapidly. So, this 2GB reduction merely represented the state of my phone at the time of adjusting these settings.<\/p>\n

Background processes are helpful, but not essential<\/p>\n

You may notice some things don\u2019t work the way they used to<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understandable to assume that such a dramatic change comes at a cost, and this assumption is correct. However, the cost is not as high as you might think.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had this setting enabled for a week, and I\u2019ve noticed three noticeable changes.<\/p>\n

First, notifications are slower to arrive. Tests involving sending emails to myself produced a delay of roughly 10 to 15 seconds compared to before.<\/p>\n

Second, some apps take longer to open.<\/p>\n

Third, I\u2019ve noticed that location-tracking features (for example, in my Weather app) require a manual prompt to work (usually just opening the app).<\/p>\n

But overall, I\u2019ve noticed a boost in battery life and performance, which I think is well worth the trade-off.<\/p>\n

A small change can have a big impact<\/p>\n

If you follow my lead and set your Android phone\u2019s background process limit to zero, and then keep a careful eye on your Android phone over the next week.<\/p>\n

Check whether you are missing notifications from essential apps, or if tracking features you rely on stop working.<\/p>\n

If you want to make a similar improvement to your phone\u2019s storage, I recommend disabling the AI Core app<\/a>. I saved 7GB of space, and all it cost me was AI features I never used. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the years, I\u2019ve tried practically every method of improving my phone\u2019s battery life. From tweaking my battery…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":530432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-645451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=645451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=645451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=645451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=645451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}