Unity Issue Tracker - Memory Leak detected when switching between an AR scene and standard scene

As Designed

6.4.X

6.3.X

5.2.X

Thank you for reporting a bug to Unity. After reviewing the behavior, we've confirmed it aligns with the current design and intended use of the feature. We understand this may differ from your expectations or workflow. We will close this case as 'As Designed.' If you have feedback on how the feature could better meet your needs, please let us know - we value your input and consider it in future improvements. Details: Xcode's "Leaks" instrument can be misleading for Unity applications because Unity uses custom memory pools that keep blocks marked for reuse instead of immediately returning them to the OS, which can appear as leaks even when they are intentional. A better approach is to use Instruments' Allocations tool or the Unity Memory Profiler to watch overall memory trends over time. The information included in the bug report reveals a project where memory rises at first then reaches a plateau, rather than continually increasing. This indicates that the memory is likely being reused by the engine rather than leaked.

How to reproduce:
1. Open the “ReproProject.zip“ project
2. Open the “SampleScene“ scene
3. Build for iOS
4. Open the “Unity-iPhone.xcodeproj“ in Xcode
5. Deploy to a device
6. Connect the “ARBug“ application to the Leaks Instrument
7. Start recording
8. In the application, press the “To AR Scene“ button
9. Wait for a few seconds
10. Press the “Back“ button
11. Repeat steps 8 to 10 a few times

Expected result: No memory leaks detected
Actual result: Memory leak detected

Reproducible with: 5.2.0 (2022.3.67f1), 6.3.0-pre.1 (6000.0.60f1, 6000.2.8f1), 6.3.0, 6.4.0-pre.1 (6000.0.60f1, 6000.2.8f1, 6000.3.0b5, 6000.4.0a2)

Reproducible environment: macOS 15.7 (M4 Max)
Not reproducible environment: No other environment tested

Reproducible with these devices:
VLNQA00626, iPhone 16 (MYE73QN/A), CPU: Apple A18 Pro, OS: 18.5
VLNQA00232, iPhone 8 Plus (MQ8M2ET/A), CPU: Apple A11 Bionic, OS: 16.7.10
VLNQA00416, iPhone 13 Pro (MLVA3ET/A), CPU: Apple A15 Bionic, OS: 17.6.1
VLNQA00491, iPhone 14 Pro (MQ083PX/A), CPU: Apple A16 Bionic, OS: 16.0
VLNQA00535, iPhone XS (MT9F2ET/A), CPU: Apple A12 Bionic, OS: 17.6.1

Memory Leak detected when switching between an AR scene and standard scene

Package: ARKit

As Designed

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Have a workaround or additional info about this issue?

Memory Leak detected when switching between an AR scene and standard scene

Package: ARKit

Statuses

As Designed

Resolution Notes

Description

Prioritise and Follow this issue

Have a workaround or additional info about this issue?