ART (Android RunTime) is the next version of Dalvik. Dalvik is the runtime, bytecode, and VM used by the Android system for running Android applications.
ART has two main features compared to Dalvik:
- Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, which improves speed (particularly startup time) and reduces memory footprint
- Improved Garbage Collection (GC)
AOT means your apps are compiled to native code once. What is stored on your phone and run is effectively native, not byte, code. This differs from the traditional VM model, which interprets bytecode. Interpreters are slow, so VM developers added a technology called Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation, which compiles (and hopefully optimized) your code to native code on-the-fly. Dalvik is a JIT’ing VM. The downside to JIT is that the JIT compiler runs while you are using your app, adding latency and memory pressure.
Following is the Detailed guide to change Android Runtime from Dalvik to ART ON KitKat Smartphone
Step 1 – Go to the Settings.
Step 2 – Tap on “About Phone”
Step 3 – Press “Build Number” option 7 times to enable the Developers option.
Step 4 – Go back to the Settings menu.
Step 5 – You’ll see Developer Options in the list, tap on it.
Step 6 – Tap on “Run Time” option.
Step 7 – Upon choosing ART, your phone will ask for the confirmation. Click on “OK”.
