Just like the Galaxy S5, HTC has included the new experimental Android Runtime on the One M8, which was initially introduced by Google with Android 4.4 KitKat. The option, however, is buried deep into the Developer options, just like on any other phone.

The reason behind this is that ART is still under development stages and Google does not want normal users to shift to it right away as it may lead to their apps crashing or mis-behaving. The option currently exists only for developers to take advantage of and prepare their app to work with ART so that they are ready for the inevitable shift in the future.

ART is considerably faster than the Dalvik run time in day-to-day usage, especially while opening or switching between them. Apart from that though, the difference is hardly visible.

If you own an HTC One M8 and want to switch to ART, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Head over to Settings -> About -> Software Information -> More and tap on Build Number 7 times to enable Developer options.

Step 2: Now, head back to the Settings menu where you will find the Developer options right at the very bottom of the list.

Step 3: Tap the Select runtime option followed by Use ART to switch to Android RunTime. Your phone will reboot for the changes to take effect.

Keep in mind that the first boot is going to take a long time (nearly 10-15 minutes) depending on the number of apps you have installed so be patient and don’t think that your phone is bricked or has entered into a boot loop.

Did you notice any major difference in performance after shifting to ART on your HTC One M8? Drop in a comment and do let us know!