detecting memory spikes in ios app

To detect memory spikes in an iOS app, you can use the tools and techniques discussed in the "Analyze heap memory" session from WWDC 2024. Here are some key points:

1. Use Instruments for Profiling: Start by using the Allocations instrument in Instruments to profile your app's heap memory. This tool helps you track memory allocations and identify spikes.

2. Analyze Memory Spikes: Memory spikes can cause memory pressure, leading to system reactions like swapping, compressing memory, or even terminating background tasks. To analyze these spikes, you can:

   • Look at specific spikes to find allocations created and still living from the low point to the high point.
   • Select a large range to find allocations created and destroyed within that range.

3. Identify Top Contributors: Sort the allocations by total bytes to identify the top contributors to memory spikes. This can give you hints about which parts of your code are causing the spikes.

4. Use Call Trees: Switch the detail view to a call tree to break down allocations by backtrace. This helps you see which code is allocating the most memory and identify potential issues.

5. Manage Autorelease Pools: In Swift, autorelease pools can be a common reason for temporary memory growth, especially when calling into Objective-C APIs. Managing these pools can help reduce memory spikes.

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the session chapter on "Transient memory growth overview" starting at 07:40 in the "Analyze heap memory" session.