iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 allow developers to access more of a device’s RAM

A new tool for developers discovered in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 will allow developers to boost the performance of their apps on iPhones and iPad by giving apps the capability to access more of the devices’ RAM. Currently, iPad apps can only use 5GB of RAM despite the fact that Apple’s M1 iPad Pro comes equipped with 16GB of RAM.

iOS 15 iPadOS 15 device RAM

Apple finally allowing developers to access more of a device’s RAM in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15

In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 beta 2, Apple is introducing a new entitlement that will let developers request access to more RAM on iPhone and iPad. This new tool will allow developers to use iPhone and iPad to their full capabilities. Apple states:

Add this entitlement to your app to inform the system that some of your app’s core features may perform better by exceeding the default app memory limit on supported devices. If you use this entitlement, make sure your app still behaves correctly if additional memory isn’t available.

An increased memory limit is only available on some device models. Call the os_proc_available_memory function to determine the amount of memory available. Higher memory use can affect system performance.

M1 iPad Pro

In May, it was reported that it does not matter if the tech giant’s M1 iPad Pro has 8 or 16 GB of RAM as no single app in iPadOS can use more than 5GB currently because of an Apple-imposed restriction. This meant that no iPadOS app could use all the hardware resources of the highly-reviewed tablet to the fullest extent.

The new tool is currently available for developers to rest but it will not be made available to apps on App Store until the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 this fall. iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 beta 2 are currently available for developers to test out. A public beta will be made available sometime in July, while the official release will be rolling out this fall.

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About the Author

Usman has been playing games for as long as he can remember. He is an editor at iThinkDifferent and writes about games, Apple news, hardware, productivity guides, and more. When not writing for iTD, Usman loves to play competitive Team Fortress 2, spends time honing his football skills, and watches superhero movies.