ART (Android Runtime)
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| ART (Android Runtime) | |
|---|---|
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| Name | ART (Android Runtime) |
| Developer | |
| Released | 2014 |
| Programming language | C++, Java (programming language), Kotlin (programming language) |
| Operating system | Android (operating system) |
| License | Apache License |
ART (Android Runtime) is the managed runtime used by Android (operating system) to execute applications written for the Java (programming language) and Kotlin (programming language) ecosystems. It replaced an earlier runtime to improve startup latency, execution throughput, and memory characteristics for devices produced by manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Motorola. ART integrates with platform services provided by Google Play Services, Android Open Source Project, and hardware abstraction layers designed by vendors like Qualcomm and MediaTek.
Overview
ART serves as the primary execution environment on many versions of Android (operating system), handling bytecode produced by toolchains including the Android SDK, Android Studio, and compilers adapted from OpenJDK. It interoperates with platform subsystems such as Binder (inter-process communication), Linux kernel, and device drivers maintained by Google and OEM partners. ART advances support for language features originating in projects like OpenJDK and runtimes influenced by HotSpot and Dalvik (software) predecessors, while aiming to satisfy requirements from app distributors such as the Google Play Store.
Architecture
The architecture of ART comprises multiple components: the class loader and verifier rooted in OpenJDK-derived toolchains, the ahead-of-time and just-in-time compilers, a garbage collector, and an interoperability layer that exposes native interfaces such as JNI. ART’s design is informed by microarchitectures from vendors like ARM Limited, Intel Corporation, and MIPS Technologies, and coordinates with the Linux kernel scheduler and memory management subsystems. The runtime interfaces with development tools including ADB (Android), Android Studio, and profiling systems influenced by LLVM tooling. On devices produced by Sony Corporation and LG Corporation, ART must adapt to chipset differences and bootloader behaviors specified by Trusted Platform Module standards.
Compilation and Execution Modes
ART supports multiple compilation modes: ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, just-in-time (JIT) compilation, and mixed or profile-guided compilation strategies adopted by Google engineers. AOT produces native code during package installation using compilers derived from LLVM and GCC toolchains, while JIT operates during runtime as in HotSpot (virtual machine). Profile-guided optimizations integrate traces captured by runtime profiling similar to techniques used in Oracle Corporation research. Build systems such as Gradle interact with ART’s compilation workflows, and app signing and packaging formats like Android Application Package determine when compilation phases occur.
Garbage Collection and Memory Management
ART implements garbage collection algorithms that evolved from techniques used in HotSpot (virtual machine) and research from institutions like MIT and Stanford University. It offers concurrent, generational, and compacting collectors that coordinate with Linux kernel memory reclaim and low-memory killer behaviors typical on devices by OnePlus and HTC Corporation. Memory profiling integrates with developer tools such as Android Studio’s profiler and third-party utilities from Valgrind-inspired projects. The GC design balances pause times and throughput to accommodate interactive workloads driven by frameworks like Android Jetpack and UI libraries popularized by Google.
Performance and Compatibility
ART was introduced to improve application startup time, runtime throughput, and energy efficiency across a broad set of devices from manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, Google, Xiaomi, and Huawei. Compatibility with existing apps built against Android API levels and frameworks such as AndroidX is maintained through bytecode verification and backward-compatible libraries influenced by OpenJDK. Performance tuning draws on lessons from virtual machines such as HotSpot (virtual machine) and techniques from compiler research at institutions like University of California, Berkeley. Benchmarks and telemetry reported by vendors and services like Google Play Store inform performance regressions and optimizations.
Security and Sandboxing
ART operates within the sandbox model enforced by the Linux kernel and Android security frameworks such as SELinux and the Android Keystore System. It validates and verifies bytecode against signatures produced by APK signing schemes and integrates mitigations developed by Google for exploits like JIT spraying and code injection. Native interfaces such as JNI are constrained by permissions and capabilities, and process isolation uses mechanisms from Linux namespaces and cgroups implemented on devices from Samsung Electronics and NVIDIA Corporation. Security updates for ART are distributed through channels including Google Play Services updates and platform releases managed by the Android Open Source Project.
History and Development
ART was developed within Google and announced alongside platform changes to Android Lollipop releases, succeeding earlier runtimes used in releases led by engineering teams influenced by projects such as Dalvik (software). Its design incorporated research and practices from virtual machine projects like HotSpot (virtual machine) and was iteratively refined with contributions from device partners including Samsung Electronics and chipset vendors like Qualcomm. Major milestones coincided with Android platform versions codified in releases named after confectionery brands and later numerical designations overseen by the Android Open Source Project governance.
Adoption and Impact on Android Ecosystem
The adoption of ART across device manufacturers—Samsung Electronics, Google, Xiaomi, Huawei, Motorola—shifted how developers target performance and distribution strategies via Google Play Store and alternative app stores such as Amazon Appstore. ART influenced development tools including Android Studio, build systems like Gradle, and libraries within the Android Jetpack suite. Its runtime characteristics affected decisions by app developers and services operated by companies like Facebook, Instagram (software), Snap Inc., and Uber Technologies when optimizing startup times, memory usage, and battery life on diverse hardware profiles.