diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/Utilities.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/Utilities.java
index af9a1b4..6c0d95e 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/Utilities.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/Utilities.java
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@
 import com.android.launcher3.widget.PendingAddShortcutInfo;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
@@ -465,12 +464,14 @@
     }
 
     public static SharedPreferences getPrefs(Context context) {
-        return context.getSharedPreferences(
+        // Use application context for shared preferences, so that we use a single cached instance
+        return context.getApplicationContext().getSharedPreferences(
                 LauncherFiles.SHARED_PREFERENCES_KEY, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
     }
 
     public static SharedPreferences getDevicePrefs(Context context) {
-        return context.getSharedPreferences(
+        // Use application context for shared preferences, so that we use a single cached instance
+        return context.getApplicationContext().getSharedPreferences(
                 LauncherFiles.DEVICE_PREFERENCES_KEY, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/Workspace.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/Workspace.java
index 3278960..abbf59d 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/Workspace.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/Workspace.java
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.res.Resources;
 import android.graphics.Bitmap;
-import android.graphics.Canvas;
 import android.graphics.Point;
 import android.graphics.Rect;
 import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable;
@@ -79,6 +78,7 @@
 import com.android.launcher3.graphics.DragPreviewProvider;
 import com.android.launcher3.graphics.PreloadIconDrawable;
 import com.android.launcher3.graphics.RotationMode;
+import com.android.launcher3.icons.BitmapRenderer;
 import com.android.launcher3.logging.UserEventDispatcher;
 import com.android.launcher3.pageindicators.WorkspacePageIndicator;
 import com.android.launcher3.popup.PopupContainerWithArrow;
@@ -2606,11 +2606,10 @@
 
         int width = MeasureSpec.makeMeasureSpec(unScaledSize[0], MeasureSpec.EXACTLY);
         int height = MeasureSpec.makeMeasureSpec(unScaledSize[1], MeasureSpec.EXACTLY);
-        Bitmap b = Bitmap.createBitmap(unScaledSize[0], unScaledSize[1],
-                Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
         layout.measure(width, height);
         layout.layout(0, 0, unScaledSize[0], unScaledSize[1]);
-        layout.draw(new Canvas(b));
+        Bitmap b = BitmapRenderer.createHardwareBitmap(
+                unScaledSize[0], unScaledSize[1], layout::draw);
         layout.setVisibility(visibility);
         return b;
     }
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/dragndrop/LivePreviewWidgetCell.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/dragndrop/LivePreviewWidgetCell.java
index e36f607..a9389bc 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/dragndrop/LivePreviewWidgetCell.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/dragndrop/LivePreviewWidgetCell.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.graphics.Bitmap;
-import android.graphics.Canvas;
 import android.util.AttributeSet;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.widget.FrameLayout;
@@ -11,6 +10,7 @@
 import com.android.launcher3.BaseActivity;
 import com.android.launcher3.DeviceProfile;
 import com.android.launcher3.LauncherAppWidgetProviderInfo;
+import com.android.launcher3.icons.BitmapRenderer;
 import com.android.launcher3.widget.WidgetCell;
 
 /**
@@ -88,11 +88,9 @@
             bitmapHeight = viewHeight;
         }
 
-        Bitmap preview = Bitmap.createBitmap(bitmapWidth, bitmapHeight, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
-        Canvas c = new Canvas(preview);
-        c.scale(scale, scale);
-        v.draw(c);
-        c.setBitmap(null);
-        return preview;
+        return BitmapRenderer.createSoftwareBitmap(bitmapWidth, bitmapHeight, c -> {
+            c.scale(scale, scale);
+            v.draw(c);
+        });
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/ShadowDrawable.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/ShadowDrawable.java
index f10b972..d8a7070 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/ShadowDrawable.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/ShadowDrawable.java
@@ -120,36 +120,35 @@
     }
 
     private void regenerateBitmapCache() {
-        Bitmap bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(mState.mIntrinsicWidth, mState.mIntrinsicHeight,
-                Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
-        Canvas canvas = new Canvas(bitmap);
-
         // Call mutate, so that the pixel allocation by the underlying vector drawable is cleared.
         Drawable d = mState.mChildState.newDrawable().mutate();
         d.setBounds(mState.mShadowSize, mState.mShadowSize,
                 mState.mIntrinsicWidth - mState.mShadowSize,
                 mState.mIntrinsicHeight - mState.mShadowSize);
         d.setTint(mState.mIsDark ? mState.mDarkTintColor : Color.WHITE);
-        d.draw(canvas);
 
-        // Do not draw shadow on dark theme
-        if (!mState.mIsDark) {
+        if (mState.mIsDark) {
+            // Dark text do not have any shadow, but just the bitmap
+            mState.mLastDrawnBitmap = BitmapRenderer.createHardwareBitmap(
+                    mState.mIntrinsicWidth, mState.mIntrinsicHeight, d::draw);
+        } else {
             Paint paint = new Paint(Paint.ANTI_ALIAS_FLAG | Paint.FILTER_BITMAP_FLAG);
             paint.setMaskFilter(new BlurMaskFilter(mState.mShadowSize, BlurMaskFilter.Blur.NORMAL));
+
+            // Generate the shadow bitmap
             int[] offset = new int[2];
-            Bitmap shadow = bitmap.extractAlpha(paint, offset);
+            Bitmap shadow = BitmapRenderer.createSoftwareBitmap(
+                    mState.mIntrinsicWidth, mState.mIntrinsicHeight, d::draw)
+                    .extractAlpha(paint, offset);
 
             paint.setMaskFilter(null);
             paint.setColor(mState.mShadowColor);
-            bitmap.eraseColor(Color.TRANSPARENT);
-            canvas.drawBitmap(shadow, offset[0], offset[1], paint);
-            d.draw(canvas);
+            mState.mLastDrawnBitmap = BitmapRenderer.createHardwareBitmap(
+                    mState.mIntrinsicWidth, mState.mIntrinsicHeight, c -> {
+                        c.drawBitmap(shadow, offset[0], offset[1], paint);
+                        d.draw(c);
+                    });
         }
-
-        if (BitmapRenderer.USE_HARDWARE_BITMAP) {
-            bitmap = bitmap.copy(Bitmap.Config.HARDWARE, false);
-        }
-        mState.mLastDrawnBitmap = bitmap;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/WorkspaceAndHotseatScrim.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/WorkspaceAndHotseatScrim.java
index 8020f15..5a1dcab 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/WorkspaceAndHotseatScrim.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/graphics/WorkspaceAndHotseatScrim.java
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@
         }
     }
 
-    public Bitmap createDitheredAlphaMask() {
+    private Bitmap createDitheredAlphaMask() {
         DisplayMetrics dm = mLauncher.getResources().getDisplayMetrics();
         int width = ResourceUtils.pxFromDp(ALPHA_MASK_WIDTH_DP, dm);
         int gradientHeight = ResourceUtils.pxFromDp(ALPHA_MASK_HEIGHT_DP, dm);