RAM is the part of the phone that is used to store the operating system (OS) and where apps and data currently in use are kept. It stores data and instructions that the phone is currently using. The more RAM your smartphone has, the better it can handle multitasking and running apps smoothly without slowing down.
When you close an app, the data stored in RAM is cleared to make room for new tasks.
Now, if your phone’s RAM is a kitchen, where apps are like dishes in progress and the memory is the chef’s workstation. Just like a chef may need extra prep space during peak hours, your phone might require additional memory for smooth multitasking. This is where Virtual RAM comes in, expanding your phone’s capabilities by utilizing storage space as supplementary memory. But how does it work, and what benefits does it bring?
Understanding Virtual RAM (VRAM)
Virtual RAM, known by various names like RAM Plus or Memory Fusion, is a feature found in some Android smartphones. It taps into your device’s internal storage to create additional RAM-like space, enhancing performance when physical RAM runs low.
Here’s how it works.
- Monitoring and optimization: Android constantly monitors RAM usage, identifying less active apps or parts of active apps for compression and offloading to virtual RAM.
- Swap partition: A dedicated portion of internal storage acts as the swap partition, facilitating the swift exchange of data between physical RAM and virtual RAM.
- Data management: Less-used app data is compressed and transferred to the swap partition, freeing up physical RAM for active tasks. When needed again, the data is retrieved, decompressed, and swapped back into RAM.
Benefits of Virtual RAM
Virtual RAM is not just about smoother multitasking; it is a game-changer in various scenarios.
- For budget phones with limited RAM, virtual RAM ensures smoother gameplay by offloading non-essential game data to storage, reducing frame drops, and enhancing the gaming experience.
- Multitasking becomes seamless for users juggling demanding applications like photo editing software or web browsers with numerous tabs open, leading to increased productivity and a smoother workflow.
- Resource-intensive apps like video editing software can leverage virtual RAM to handle complex tasks more efficiently, resulting in faster rendering times and smoother editing experiences.
- As apps become more demanding, virtual RAM acts as a buffer, mitigating the impact on your phone’s performance and potentially extending its relevance over time.
How to extend the memory of your phone with virtual RAM
- Switch on the memory extension: If your phone supports the virtual RAM feature, you can have more apps open in the background and switch smoothly between them.
To switch the feature on, tap Settings >> Memory, and switch on Memory extension. If asked, tap the memory size you want. Using the memory extension (virtual RAM) requires enough storage space. To protect the storage, the memory extension is automatically and permanently disabled once 90% of the usage limit is reached. This can occur after 4 years of heavy usage.
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- Clean the memory: To clean the memory of your phone from unnecessary apps running in the background, tap Settings >> Memory >> Clear all.
If there are apps that you always want to keep running in the background, exclude them from the clean-up: tap Settings >> Memory >> Excluded apps, and switch on the apps you want to keep open
- Considerations: While virtual RAM offers significant benefits, it’s not without drawbacks. Users must be mindful of potential storage consumption and slight battery drain. Additionally, its effectiveness depends on various factors such as storage speed and the manufacturer’s implementation.
Virtual RAM is a powerful tool for optimizing smartphone performance, especially for budget devices with limited physical RAM. By intelligently managing memory resources, it enhances multitasking, improves app performance, and future-proofs your device against evolving software demands.
