Phones with 2–3 GB of RAM: which games to pick and how to keep them open

VipMod runs on a phone with 2 GB of RAM, but "it runs" and "it's comfortable to play" aren't the same thing. This guide is for you if you're on a 2 or 3 GB phone and games in VipMod keep closing after a few minutes.

Why a game in VipMod needs more memory

A game in VipMod runs in VipMod's own space alongside a small companion process, which loads the mod and keeps the game connected to VipMod. When the phone runs short of memory, Android starts reclaiming processes in its own order of priority, and that companion is usually among the first to go, taking the game down with it. You don't get an error message. The game just disappears.

Something else takes up room too. VipMod keeps its own copy of Google Play services so that games can sign in with Google, and on a 2 GB phone that copy is a luxury. Turning on Save RAM (low-end devices) in VipMod's Settings leaves it out and frees about 140 MB. The catch is that games can't sign in with Google while it's on, although they still open normally. On a 2 GB Redmi we keep for testing, that one switch was the difference between a game closing after about a minute and playing for more than eight.

Which games to pick

• Offline games first. They have no network syncing and fewer background processes, and they open faster.
• Smaller downloads. Games under about 300 MB are the safe bet. Heavy games over 1 GB, like 3D RPGs and online shooters, usually want 4 GB of RAM to run well.
• Light genres. Puzzles, idle games, 2D tower defense and arcade games. In the store, Puzzle & Block and Strategy & Tower Defense are the two sections that suit low-end phones best.

To give you an idea, Idle Kingdom Defense and Diamond Quest: Don't Rush! are both small offline downloads, which makes them a good place to start. An online RPG that weighs well over 1 GB is better saved for a bigger phone.

Three things to change before you play

1. Turn off the Internet for the game. Long-press the game's tile in VipMod and switch Internet off. Offline games don't need a connection, and without one there are fewer ads to download and less syncing, so the game opens noticeably faster. Leave it on for games that need you to sign in.
2. Close every other app, especially your browser and social media apps. On a 2 GB phone a single Chrome tab weighs about as much as a light game. If you tend to leave a second game open in VipMod, turn on Close other apps when opening a new one in VipMod's Settings, so starting one game closes the others first.
3. Turn off battery optimization for VipMod. On Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo this matters even more than RAM. The steps for each brand are in this guide.

What not to do

• Don't install a RAM booster or cleaner app. Those close exactly the companion process the game needs.
• Don't force 90 or 120 Hz on a weak phone. A higher refresh rate costs extra processor and graphics work, so the game stutters more, not less.
• Don't push a game's speed option to ×4 or ×6. On a weak phone the speed you actually get is lower than the one you picked, and the phone heats up. One step down usually gets rid of the stutter.

When it's a real limit

A 32-bit phone, which covers some budget models from 2016 to 2018, can't open games in VipMod however much RAM it has (here's why). And on a phone with 1 GB of RAM, VipMod will install, but almost no game makes it past its first screen. We'd rather tell you that now than have you spend an evening finding out.