How to Disable RAM Plus on Samsung Galaxy Phones

RAM Plus is a Samsung feature that uses a portion of your phone’s internal storage as virtual memory. While it can help keep more apps open in the background, many users find it causes performance issues, especially on lower-end devices. This guide shows you how to turn it off and explains when it’s a good idea.

What You’ll Need

• A Samsung Galaxy phone running One UI 4.0 or later (most devices from 2022 onward).
• Your phone’s unlock PIN, pattern, or password.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Settings app on your phone. It’s the gear icon in your app drawer or notification shade.
2. Scroll down and tap Battery and device care. On some older One UI versions, this may be labeled simply “Device care.”
3. Tap Memory. This is usually the second option in the list, with a RAM icon.
4. Look for the RAM Plus section at the bottom of the Memory screen. It will show the current virtual RAM size (e.g., 4GB, 6GB, 8GB).
5. Tap RAM Plus to open its settings. You’ll see a slider or a list of sizes (2GB, 4GB, 6GB, 8GB).
6. Select the lowest value (usually 2GB) or, if available, tap “Disable” or drag the slider to the minimum. On some models, you may see a toggle switch to turn it off entirely.
7. Your phone will prompt you to restart. Tap Restart now and wait for the phone to reboot.
8. After restarting, go back to Settings > Battery and device care > Memory. You should see “RAM Plus” grayed out or showing “Off” or “0GB.”

Common Mistakes

• Not restarting after the change: The setting only takes effect after a reboot. If you skip the restart, RAM Plus remains active.
• Choosing a lower size instead of disabling: If your phone doesn’t have an explicit “Off” option, selecting the minimum size (2GB) still leaves virtual RAM enabled. Only a full disable stops the feature.
• Confusing RAM Plus with regular RAM: RAM Plus is virtual memory; it doesn’t replace physical RAM. Turning it off doesn’t free up internal storage—it just stops using that reserved space as memory.
• Looking in the wrong settings menu: On some devices with One UI 5.1 or later, the RAM Plus toggle may be under Settings > Battery and device care > Memory > Advanced. If you don’t see it in the main Memory screen, tap the three-dot menu or look for “Advanced.”

Tips

• Disable RAM Plus if you have 8GB or more physical RAM: Most users with 8GB or 12GB of RAM won’t notice a difference, and disabling it can reduce storage wear.
• Keep it enabled on budget phones with 4GB RAM: If your phone has limited physical RAM, RAM Plus can help keep more apps alive. But if you experience lag, try disabling it to see if performance improves.
• Monitor performance after disabling: If apps reload more often than you’d like, re-enable RAM Plus with a small size (2GB) instead of the maximum.
• Use Device Care to clear memory: Instead of relying on virtual RAM, regularly use the “Clean now” button in Device Care to free up physical RAM.
• Check for software updates: Samsung has tweaked RAM Plus behavior in One UI updates. Make sure your phone is up to date before deciding whether to keep it on or off.

Troubleshooting

• RAM Plus option is missing: This happens on some devices (like the Galaxy A series) where Samsung has removed the toggle in newer updates. If you can’t find it, your phone may not support disabling it. Check for a system update, or search your exact model online for a workaround (though this is rare).
• The phone doesn’t restart automatically: If the restart prompt doesn’t appear, manually restart your phone after changing the setting.
• RAM Plus still shows the old size after restart: Go back to the Memory screen and tap RAM Plus again. If it still shows a value, try selecting the minimum size again and restarting. If that fails, a factory reset is an option, but back up your data first.
• Performance gets worse after disabling: If your phone becomes sluggish or apps close too often, re-enable RAM Plus with a small allocation (2GB) and restart. This is a sign your physical RAM is insufficient for your usage.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does disabling RAM Plus free up storage space?
Yes, it frees the storage that was reserved for virtual RAM. For example, if you had 4GB of RAM Plus enabled, you’ll get roughly 4GB of internal storage back.

2. Will disabling RAM Plus void my warranty?
No. This is a standard user-facing setting provided by Samsung. It doesn’t require root or any system modifications.

3. Is RAM Plus the same as a swap file on a PC?
It’s similar in concept—it uses storage as overflow memory—but it’s managed by the phone’s kernel and not directly user-configurable like a PC swap file.

4. Why does Samsung enable RAM Plus by default?
Samsung enables it to help multitasking on devices with limited physical RAM. It’s a trade-off: more apps stay open, but at the cost of storage speed and lifespan.

5. Can I change the RAM Plus size without restarting?
No, a restart is required for the change to take effect.

6. Does RAM Plus affect gaming performance?
In some cases, yes. If the phone uses RAM Plus heavily, games may stutter due to slower storage read/write speeds. Disabling it can improve gaming performance on devices with enough physical RAM.

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