Client

A large Android application used by thousands of daily users. Over time, users reported performance issues including:

• Slow startup

• Lag in lists and UI rendering

• High memory usage

• Occasional app freezes

• App size growing with every release

The client needed a thorough performance optimization effort to make the app faster, smoother, and lighter.

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Project Overview

We performed a full performance audit and implemented targeted optimizations across:

• App size (R8/ProGuard)

• App startup time

• RecyclerView rendering

• Memory usage and leak detection

• Background task scheduling

• Overall code refinement

The result was a smaller, faster, and more stable Android application.

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Key Challenges

1. Large APK Size

Increasing libraries, resources, and unused code inflated the app size.

2. Slow Startup Time

Initial app launch was delayed due to:

• Heavy initialization logic

• Synchronous network calls

• Large DEX loading

• Unoptimized dependency injection setup

3. RecyclerView Lag

Scrolling stuttered due to:

• Inefficient adapters

• Full list reloads

• Large data sets

• Expensive diffing operations

4. Memory Leaks

Frequent leaks caused:

• High RAM consumption

• Background activity retention

• Crashes on older/lower-memory devices

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Our Solution

1. App Size Reduction Using ProGuard and R8

We enabled and fine-tuned:

• Code shrinking

• Resource shrinking

• Unused method and class removal

• Obfuscation for security

• Optimization passes in R8

• Split APKs / App Bundles

Results:

• APK size reduction by 25–45%

• Faster downloads and updates

• Lower installation failures on low-end devices

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2. Improving Startup Time Through Profiling

We profiled the startup using:

• Android Studio Profiler

• Startup Tracing

• Perfetto

• Systrace

Improvements included:

• Lazy initialization for SDKs

• Deferring heavy work to background threads

• Removing synchronous calls from Application.onCreate

• Optimizing dependency injection graph (Hilt/Dagger)

• Reducing splash screen overhead

Result:

• Cold start time reduced significantly

• Noticeable improvement in first-screen load

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3. Optimizing RecyclerView Performance

We introduced the following improvements:

DiffUtil

• Only updates changed items

• Removed full list redraws

• Smooth UI updates even on thousands of items

Paging Library / Pagination

• Only fetch small chunks of data

• Reduced UI memory load

• Improved scroll performance

ViewHolder Optimization

• Removed redundant bindings

• Used stable IDs for better performance

• Preloaders for image-heavy items

Layout Optimization

• Replaced nested views

• Enabled setHasFixedSize(true)

• Considered using ListAdapter for auto-diffing

Result:

• Smooth scrolling across all lists

• Lower CPU usage during rendering

• Faster updates when data changes

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4. Memory Leak Detection & Fixes with LeakCanary

We integrated LeakCanary for runtime leak detection:

Detected and resolved leaks from:

• Anonymous inner classes

• Activity and fragment references

• Long-lived listeners

• Coroutines/Threads not cancelled

• Singleton holding context

• Unreleased adapters and views

After fixes:

• Memory footprint dropped

• Reduced OutOfMemory crashes

• Improved long-session stability

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Additional Performance Improvements

1. Network Optimization

• Added caching

• Reduced over-fetching

• Consolidated redundant API calls

2. Image Loading Optimization

• Optimized Glide/Coil configs

• Added placeholders and preloading

• Enabled memory/disk caching strategies

3. Background Task Optimization

• Used WorkManager for scheduled tasks

• Ensured proper cancellation of unused tasks

4. Code Refactoring

• Removed unused dependencies

• Updated old libraries

• Replaced heavy implementations with lightweight ones

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Architecture Improvement Summary

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Results & Impact

Smaller App Size

APK reduced by 25–45%.

Faster Startup

Launch time improved significantly due to deferred initialization.

Smooth UI and Lists

RecyclerView became responsive even on large data sets.

Improved Stability

Memory leaks fixed; fewer crashes reported.

Better User Experience

App became faster, smoother, and more reliable overall.

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Conclusion

Through a combination of R8/ProGuard optimization, startup profiling, RecyclerView enhancements, and memory leak resolution, we delivered a noticeably faster, lighter, and more stable Android application.

This performance overhaul improved user experience dramatically and prepared the app for future growth.