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](https://www.blog.google/products/android/2bn-milestone),
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)](https://developer.android.com/docs/quality-guidelines/build-for-billions/device-capacity#androidgo).

| 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

| **Note:** This is not a comprehensive list and there may be other minor features disabled on Android (Go edition).

## 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)](https://blog.google/products/android/android-13-go-edition/).