AssetManager vs Manual Texture Loading: Choosing the Right Disposal Strategy During Android Lifecycle

Context

When migrating a small LibGDX application to a new version, the goal is to avoid any visible downtime on Android devices. The main concern is whether the automatic disposal of assets handled by AssetManager is reliable across the pause/resume cycle, or if manual texture management provides more predictable cleanup.

Unresolved Behavior

LibGDX’s documentation does not specify if AssetManager clears its internal cache automatically when ApplicationListener.dispose() is called on Android. Manual texture loading, on the other hand, requires explicit calls to dispose() for each Texture, but gives direct control over when resources are released.

Decision Points

Which approach better guarantees that no memory leaks persist after the app is paused and resumed, while still preventing frame drops during asset loading?

Specific Questions

• Does AssetManager automatically release all cached textures when dispose() is invoked, or must cache.clear() be called explicitly?
• Can manual texture loading be scheduled on a background thread without affecting the rendering thread’s performance, thereby avoiding downtime?
• What are the best practices for tracking reference counts when using AssetManager across multiple screens to prevent accidental disposal of shared assets?