Google acknowledges leaky memory, fix coming to Android 5.1.1?

posted by Alan F. / Mar 14, 2015, 8:57 PM

Memory leak on Android 5.0.1 could be repaired with Android 5.1.1

A memory leak that was originally discovered in Android 5.0.1, is still annoying and befuddling Nexus device users with Android 5.1. According to the Issue Tracker page on the AOSP website, Google has internally fixed the issue and plans to include it in an upcoming release. That most likely would be Android 5.1.1.

The complaints are beginning to read the same. Apps, especially Google+, restart on their own. Some active apps disappear in the middle of using them, and free RAM drops in hours to about 750MB-800MB from 1.1GB-1.3GB. Most of the people who sent in a complaint appear to be using the Nexus 5, although other Nexus devices have been cited. Some complaints said that opening apps would increase the amount of RAM in use, but closing apps would not reduce that figure.

Issue 159738, "Memory leak still present on Android 5.1," was closed by Google on Friday. Now, it is just a matter of waiting for Android 5.1.1. Google will no doubt stamp this as "Rush" because no one wants to live with the craziness of a handset running with a memory leak.

Thanks for the tip Rodrigo!

source: AOSP

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50 Comments

1. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Another day another bug!

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:12 PM 15

6. jeso86

Posts: 8; Member since: Apr 17, 2014

You mean the same bug :) but this is really annoying I mean FFS Google fix this every couple of days my N5 becomes completely unusable :(

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:35 PM 7

12. vincelongman

Posts: 5718; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

No they did fixed the 5.0 memory leaks See the changelog, there's over 60 memory leaks that were fixed This is a new memory leak in 5.1 And it is some specific apps/games My apps/games aren't causing any memory leaks (not yet at least) Google need to step up their testing IMO they need to introduce soak testing, like what Motorola do i.e. allow people (devs and power users) to sign up to test the builds, before they are officially rolled out

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 11:00 PM 4

41. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Google should be ashamed of themselves. They fast tracked Lollipop to release and forgot to even test the build and make it stable. They should have stayed with kitkat until lollipop was in order.

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 1:39 PM 4

46. tedkord

Posts: 17397; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

But it was perfectly alright the mess that iOS was released as, right?

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 7:10 PM 2

47. vincelongman

Posts: 5718; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

Lollipop 5.0 was "stable" I didn't have any app crashes or restarts It just needed a reboot every couple days At least its not like iOS 8, where apps crash daily on my iPad Mini 2 And there's nothing I can do about it

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 7:32 PM 0

49. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

I can say the same for iOS 8 release by Apple. Mxy have you conveniently forgot to mention about how buggy iOS 8 release is?

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 10:09 PM 0

10. fireblade

Posts: 717; Member since: Dec 27, 2013

you mean ios?

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 10:44 PM 2

2. SuperAndroid507

Posts: 361; Member since: Jan 06, 2014

And my xperia Z1 is still in 4.4.4 -.- I just hope Sony's update won't bring that memory leak issue.

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:23 PM 4

5. Atrixboyyy

Posts: 603; Member since: Nov 03, 2011

same here but with the Z3. I'm anxious for the 5.0 update but it literally means that much more waiting for 5.1.1...

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:29 PM 1

14. vincelongman

Posts: 5718; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

Its supposedly already fixed So Sony would just need to copy the fix over to their build of 5.1

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 11:09 PM 1

21. boosook

Posts: 1442; Member since: Nov 19, 2012

the problem is that Sony will now release android 5.0, then it'll take another 6 months for android 5.1, and then another 6 months for android 5.1.1, and some devices will be stuck with android 5.0 and its memory leaks because the 18 months will be over when sony will release android 5.1 (they have done this with many older phones, even flagships like the T which never received kitkat... they do not consider the 18 months from when Google releases a new version, but from when *they* release a new version).

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 3:56 AM 2

22. vincelongman

Posts: 5718; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

4.4 to 5.0 was a huge update Literally the biggest ever for Android So there were bound to be plenty of bugs 5.0 to 5.1 is one of the smallest updates ever Mostly just bug fixes So I'd be surprised if it took Sony more than 2 months Also many OEMs already fixed the memory leaks in their builds of 5.0 For example I know Motorola did (my brother has a 1st gen Moto G) I've heard Samsung and HTC also fixed the memory leaks on their builds So I'd be surprised if Sony hadn't fixed the memory leaks

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 4:38 AM 3

3. KingKurogiii

Posts: 5713; Member since: Oct 23, 2011

this issue has been tracked since shortly after 5.0 released. this honestly should have been fixed with 5.1. this was one of the biggies that i was hoping would be fixed with that release.

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:29 PM 7

11. vincelongman

Posts: 5718; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 11:00 PM 1

13. KingKurogiii

Posts: 5713; Member since: Oct 23, 2011

based on what information? "A memory leak that was originally discovered in Android 5.0.1, is still annoying and befuddling Nexus device users with Android 5.1." that's what the article clearly states.

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 11:06 PM 1

15. vincelongman

Posts: 5718; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

The article is wrong There was never ONE memory leak in 5.0 There were MANY memory leaks in 5.1 Google fixed 60+ memory leaks But they introduce this new one in 5.1 Otherwise find me a link to this exact problem (check the AOSP source) in 5.0

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 11:13 PM 1

16. Awalker

Posts: 1981; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

Vince is right. Go over to the AOSP site and look through the change log. There's many references to various memory leaks being fixed. I installed 5.1 on my Nexus 5 about an hour after Google posted the factory image and my device has been working fine. RAM is okay and none of my apps are closing or resetting.

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 11:34 PM 1

40. JC557

Posts: 1919; Member since: Dec 07, 2011

It's worse with the desktop version of Chrome and it's been brought up quite a bit in their forums as well as elsewhere.

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 1:36 PM 0

4. mptripper

Posts: 32; Member since: Dec 10, 2013

I fear for those 1gb ram users

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:29 PM 6

39. Sidewinder

Posts: 515; Member since: Jan 15, 2015

I had to ditch my s3 and buy a s4 for the exact same reason. Aosp lollipop rom on my s3 was worse than touchwiz 4.3 when it came to memory management

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 12:05 PM 0

50. james58385

Posts: 5; Member since: Dec 03, 2014

Android One user here (1GB RAM) on 5.1 Lollipop. All is well, so far.

posted on Mar 16, 2015, 1:23 AM 0

7. valapsp

Posts: 565; Member since: Aug 12, 2011

lots of apps still crash on my nexus 6 running 5.1

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 9:44 PM 2

18. Andrewtst

Posts: 696; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

I am running 5.1 at my Nexus 6. I don't have single apps FC. So far I find 5.1 is stable now not like previously in 5.0.1

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 12:48 AM 2

19. LoveHater

Posts: 234; Member since: Oct 09, 2013

dont fear .. here at Moto G 5.0.2, and never had ML

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 1:54 AM 0

8. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Nexus is Google Android Developer device so it meant for Google to beta test new feature. If you want Nexus than you must be willing to be inconvenient once in awhile. My Samsung Note 3 lollipop has no memory leak or app crushing issue despite being on Android 5.0. The speaker mute function is also there which is lacking on the Nexus Android 5 edition. So its more than just Android version number, its new codes having conflict with the older ones.

posted on Mar 14, 2015, 10:07 PM 4

24. Predator1701

Posts: 130; Member since: Oct 28, 2014

What are you smoking my friend because I want some! First of all we(Nexus users) are not beta testers for new versions of android, Nexus devices are consumer devices as much as development devices. And if you think that the version of android 5.0 lollipop that you have on your Note 3 is different from mine on my Nexus 4 just because there is touchwiz on top of it the you are very wrong!!! It has the same bugs and mistakes as well as new features, the only difference is samy put a skin on it and added mostly useless features.

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 5:32 AM 2

25. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

If you think all they did was put a skin...then here is a bridge to sell you.

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 6:10 AM 0

28. ciprian.ruse

Posts: 320; Member since: May 13, 2014

My Galaxy S5 ( G900F) with 5.0 has the memory leak that makes the drawer redraw sometimes so nothing is fixed on touchwiz !

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 7:16 AM 2

31. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

ciprian.ruse you should just bring your device back to Samsung Service Center and complain to them. Works for me. If they really can't resolve it they might give you a new S5 with the older firmware in it.

posted on Mar 15, 2015, 8:55 AM 1

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