Out Of Memory Error When loading more images in Glide

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07-10-2024

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"Out of Memory" Errors in Glide: Understanding and Solving Image Loading Issues

Loading images in Android apps can be a memory-intensive operation, and if not handled properly, it can lead to the dreaded "Out of Memory" (OOM) error. Glide, a popular image loading library, is known for its efficiency, but even Glide can be susceptible to OOMs when loading large images or numerous images simultaneously.

Let's dive into understanding why these errors occur and explore practical solutions to prevent them.

The Scenario: A Common Problem

Imagine you have a RecyclerView displaying a list of products, each with an image. As you scroll through the list, Glide diligently loads and displays these images. However, if you load too many images at once or encounter very large images, your app might encounter an "Out of Memory" error, crashing the app and leaving users frustrated.

Example Code:

// Assuming you have a RecyclerView and a list of image URLs

Glide.with(context)
        .load(imageUrl)
        .into(imageView);

Understanding the Root Cause

The "Out of Memory" error typically arises when your app attempts to allocate more memory than available. Here's why this happens with images:

• Large Image Sizes: Large images, particularly high-resolution photos, require a significant amount of memory to store in the app's memory.
• Multiple Images: When loading numerous images simultaneously, each image takes up memory, potentially overwhelming the available resources.
• Memory Fragmentation: Over time, the memory allocator might create fragmented chunks of memory, making it difficult to allocate a contiguous block for large image data.

Solutions for Avoiding OOM Errors

1. Image Downsampling:

   • Glide's built-in features: Glide provides powerful downsampling capabilities. Use fitCenter() or centerCrop() to resize images before they are loaded into memory. You can also specify a maximum image size with override(width, height).
   • Example:

   Glide.with(context)
           .load(imageUrl)
           .override(200, 200) // Limit the maximum image size to 200x200 pixels
           .fitCenter() // Scale the image to fit the ImageView
           .into(imageView);
   

2. Memory Cache Management:

   • Glide's Disk Cache: Configure Glide to cache images on disk instead of memory. This reduces the memory footprint.
   • Clear Cache: Periodically clear the memory cache to reclaim unused memory.
   • Example:

   Glide.with(context)
           .load(imageUrl)
           .diskCacheStrategy(DiskCacheStrategy.ALL) // Cache images on disk
           .into(imageView);
   

3. Bitmap Configuration:

   • Use the appropriate bitmap format: Choose the most efficient format for your image data. For example, use ARGB_8888 if you need full transparency, but RGB_565 for images without transparency can reduce memory usage.
   • Example:

   Glide.with(context)
           .asBitmap()
           .load(imageUrl)
           .into(new SimpleTarget<Bitmap>() {
               @Override
               public void onResourceReady(@NonNull Bitmap resource, @Nullable Transition<? super Bitmap> transition) {
                   // Configure Bitmap.Config as needed
                   // Bitmap.Config config = Bitmap.Config.RGB_565; // Example for non-transparent images
                   // imageView.setImageBitmap(resource.copy(config, false));
               }
           });
   

4. Manage Image Lifecycle:

   • Preload images: Load images in advance, especially those displayed frequently, using Glide's preload() method.
   • Clear images from memory: When an image is no longer visible, clear its reference using Glide.clear(imageView) or Glide.with(context).clear(target).
   • Example:

   // Preload images
   Glide.with(context)
           .preload(imageUrl);
   
   // Clear images from memory
   Glide.clear(imageView); 
   

5. Optimize RecyclerView:

   • RecyclerView's ViewHolder pattern: Use ViewHolder to efficiently reuse views.
   • Limit the number of visible items: Set an appropriate ItemViewCount to prevent loading too many items at once.
   • Image Loading Optimization: Implement image loading only when a view is becoming visible.

Additional Tips:

• Minimize image size: If possible, ensure images are already optimized for web and mobile use.
• Avoid excessive background loading: Limit the number of images loaded simultaneously in the background.
• Monitor memory usage: Use Android Studio's Memory Profiler to track memory consumption and identify potential issues.

By implementing these best practices and understanding the root cause of OOM errors, you can effectively handle image loading in your Android apps using Glide, prevent crashes, and provide a smooth user experience.