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How do I enable ART runtime in 4.4 on my Nexus 7 (2012)?

J

jimingo

Newbie
I thought the setting was somewhere under Developer Options but I can't seem to find it. I read somewhere that the nexus 10 does not have the option to enable ART so I hope the nexus 7 isn't plagued with the same fate. Also, if anyone has ART enabled on other 4.4 devices, have you noticed any improvements?
 
ART is the new virtual machine Google is phasing in probably over the next few major android iterations. Android currently uses the Dalvik runtime environment.
 
Ah, ok. In that case I can't help, although I'd be surprised if it needed "enabling" in the sense you mean - surely it's there to be used by apps/system parts that need it and ignored by the rest, a bit like (say) .NET in a Windows system or for that matter Java on the underlying Linux system of an Android device, just sitting there until something makes use of them.

Of course since I didn't even know what it was I could be wrong :-)
 
It doesn't show up on the Nexus 7 (at least my 2012 version). On my N5 it is a setting inserted between "Stay Awake" and "Enable Bluetooth HCI snoop log" labeled "Select Runtime."
 
Will the 2012 and Nexus 10 ever get ART? I'm sick of the lag and with all the best kitkat stuff omitted it doesn't even feel like an upgrade. Flashing a custom ROM would break the ota updates so I'd have to wipe and flash to update after that, which would suck. I hate starting over in my games.
 
Lag is still there and my GS3 runs a ROM that has ART and there IS a difference I want on my 7 and 10. But flashing a ROM would not only require a wipe but would also break OTA updates. ART has also brought iOS style fluidity that I have wanted in Android since I jumped ship to Android after a time on iPhone and iPad. And yes, even the 7 runs out of memory and gets FC

I'm worried they will never get ART support. Until they do i am using my ipad.
 
nickdalzell said:
Lag is still there and my GS3 runs a ROM that has ART and there IS a difference I want on my 7 and 10. But flashing a ROM would not only require a wipe but would also break OTA updates. ART has also brought iOS style fluidity that I have wanted in Android since I jumped ship to Android after a time on iPhone and iPad. And yes, even the 7 runs out of memory and gets FC

I'm worried they will never get ART support. Until they do i am using my ipad.
Click to expand...

Ironically, if you want to be on the bleeding edge of Android updates and features, flashing custom ROMs is the only way to go. And Android developers tend to be pretty good about implementing OTA's into their ROMs when applicable.

I hate to say it, but Google's probably putting the 2012 N7 in a legacy mode for development. Its already almost 18 months old. Whatever upgrade we get this summer will probably be its last. If we are lucky, we might get whatever comes out this Fall. ART on the 2012 N7 will probably never be officially supported by Google, despite the fact it seems to work fine. I might eat my words, but I wouldn't count on it.
 
jimingo said:
I thought the setting was somewhere under Developer Options but I can't seem to find it. I read somewhere that the nexus 10 does not have the option to enable ART so I hope the nexus 7 isn't plagued with the same fate. Also, if anyone has ART enabled on other 4.4 devices, have you noticed any improvements?
Click to expand...
You go to developer options, then look for "runtime" then select ART. It will restart your device. I am using a 2013 nexus 7
 
Rxpert83 said:
You have to be on a custom ROM.

Its not included in the OTA because ART is VERY beta

The only device its available on the stock ROM is the nexus 5 as far as im aware
Click to expand...
You don't have to be running a custom ROM (at least on nexus 7 2013 running 4.4.2)
 
Rxpert83 said:
On the original nexus 7 you need to be on a custom rom. It does not ship with art as an available option by default
Click to expand...

Before I upgraded my Nexus 7 † to Lollipop last week, I ran KitKat (4.4.4) with ART runtime to check for compatibility issues with the apps I use, so it is definitely possible.

I had no problem, so happily upgraded to Lollipop when it was offered.

There do however seem to be circumstances where the option to switch runtime is not shown, although I do not know why.

Speaking with a colleague today, with the same 2012 Nexus 7 as myself, he was never offered the option to switch to the ART runtime, and isn't now being offered th option to upgrade to Lollipop. It is possible that the root cause is the same for both of these problems, but I have not been able to identify why or how to fix it.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, ART runtime is available on Android 4.4 (4.4.4 at least) for the Nexus 7 2012 and has been for quite some time. If you are not being offered the option to switch to it, there must be some other problem preventing the option being offered.

Tablet: † Google Nexus 7 2012 16GB, Model ME370T, never rooted, only ever run on stock firmware.
 
@markbang as far as I know the 2012 n7 never got official ART on kitkat mate.
Don't know how yours did tbh lol
 
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