Google explained how it will increase the speed and battery life of Android devices

Google is developing background optimization for Android devices

The Google team is working on implementing a series of improvements that will make Android-based smartphones faster and more energy-efficient. To do this, they are using the Android LLVM toolchain to update the OS kernel and integrate Automatic Feedback-Directed Optimization (AutoFDO) technology.

What does AutoFDO do?
In normal builds, the compiler makes thousands of small decisions:

– inline a function directly into code or call it separately;
– which branch of a conditional statement is most likely to be executed.

These decisions are based on statistical hints within the code and do not always reflect the program’s actual behavior. AutoFDO changes the approach – the compiler receives real “execution paths” (i.e., the most frequently occurring instruction chains) that are recorded during device operation, and then uses them for more accurate optimization.

How data is collected
* Real device fleets can provide the necessary information, but Google prefers to synthesize profiles based on representative workloads.
* About 100 of the most popular apps are run in tests.
* A special “sampled” profiler determines which parts of code are actually used frequently and which are rarely used.

The resulting profiles are applied during kernel recompilation, and the compiler begins making more informed decisions that match real Android workloads.

Early test results
* OS load time improved by 2.1 %.
* Launching apps from a “cold” state (fully unloaded) improved by 4.3 %.
* There were also small improvements in other metrics that are less noticeable to the user.

How it will be implemented
* AutoFDO will be included in the kernel by default conservatively: if a process exceeds predefined patterns, the system will revert to previous optimization methods.
* The technology will appear in new Android kernel releases:
* Android 16 (kernel 6.12),
* Android 15 (kernel 6.6), and
* future releases, including Android 17 (kernel 6.18).

What it will give users
Google states that implementing AutoFDO will lead to:

* a more responsive interface,
* faster switching between apps,
* increased battery life, and
* overall higher device performance.

Thus, background optimization based on real execution scenarios should make Android smartphones faster and more energy-efficient without noticeable changes in the user experience.