Tips for Speeding Up a Slow Android Phone

Nothing is as frustrating as a slow phone when you are in a rush to get something done. Even the best Android phones will slow down over time. Apps which are taking forever to load, screens which take ages to scroll, and overall performance which just degenerates.

But do not panic a slow android phone does not always mean it is time for an upgrade right away. In most cases what you need is to do a few small changes and fixes which will bring your phone out of dormancy and get it running faster and more smoothly. No matter what your phone is — whether a cheap second hand device which has seen better days or a pricey one which is in mid life — try these tips to give it a bit of speed.

Here is your step by step guide to speed up a slow Android phone.

1. Reboot Your Phone Regularly.

It is easy to dismiss but in fact by all means do try rebooting your phone it does for many of us resolve the bulk of performance issues. Over time apps tend to accumulate in memory and background processes slow things down. A hard reset will clear out temporary files, close out idle applications, and get your phone’s system back to square one.

Try to restart your phone once a week. When your phone is running slow a reset will give you only a short term solution.

2. Tidy Up App Library.

We all at some point download apps which we may use once or a couple of times and then just leave them out. These do in fact run into our system and use up space, also they may keep running in the background, and even start services without us knowing.

Organize your app drawer or get into settings and remove what you don’t use. This not only frees up space but also means your phone has to do less.

How to remove apps:

On your device go to Settings then search for Apps and tap See all apps.

• Tap the app which you want out.
• Choose Uninstall.

3. Empty Cache.

Most apps use cache to speed up performance which in turn causes at some points the cache to fill up with unnecessary data. Clearing the cache will give your phone a speed boost which is very much visible, especially if apps like browsers or social apps are using up too much storage.

How to clear cache:

Settings – Applications – pick the app – Storage and Cache – Empty Cache.

Be sure to not choose “Clear Storage” if you want to delete the app.

4. Update which software and applications you have.

Old outdated applications or versions of Android can cause performance issues. Developers constantly put out updates which fix bugs, speed up app performance, and improve overall performance.

Locate updates:

Open up the Play Store go to your profile picture Manage apps device See updates available.

To check that your system is up to date go to Settings – System – Software Update.

Always keep your device updated for the best performance.

5. Clear out Internal Storage.

As your phone’s internal storage becomes full, performance suffers. For best results with Android free up at least 20-25% of your storage space.

How to clear up storage space:

• Remove old photos, videos, and downloads.
• Transfer your media to the cloud or an SD card (if supported).

In the Settings go to Storage and use the “Free Up Space” feature.

6. Reduce Background Processes.

Some apps run in the background which use up RAM and CPU resources even when you aren’t using them. By reducing background activity you free up resources which in turn speeds up your phone.

How to restrict background operation

Go to Settings, open the Apps section, find the app, then to Battery, Restricted or Optimized.

You may also use Battery Saver Mode which in turn will put background activity to sleep if you are in need of some extra speed or battery life.

7. Disable or reduce animations.

Android ships with great looking app transition and exit animations, they do make the interface look very nice, however, this comes at the cost of performance, especially on low-end or older devices.

You can speed things up by deactivating or turning off the animations.

How to de-animate:

1. Go Settings – About Phone – tap on Build Number seven times to enable Developer Options.

2. In Developer Options, find:

• Window animation scale
• Transition animation scale
• Animator duration scale

3. Set each to 0.5x or Off.

Deactivated actions will be more swift.

8. Use Mobile Versions of Apps.

Many of the popular apps have “lite” versions that run smoother on slower phones. Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite, and Google Go are examples of which use less resources than their full featured versions.

Using this can improve performance which is great if you have a phone with little RAM or storage.

9. Steer clear of Live Wallpapers and Heavy Widgets.

Live home screens are a great feature but they do use up a lot of processing power to run. Also true for widgets like weather info or news which update in the background all the time and thus will slow your phone down.

Speed boost tip:

Use stock wallpapers instead of live ones.

Reduce to only what you use daily.

10. Get rid of pre installed junk.

On many Android phones pre installed apps which you will never use come in. These are what we call bloatware, also while some you can’t do anything with, you are able to disable most of them from running in the background.

How to get rid of bloatware:

Settings – Applications – choose the app – Disable.

Phone performance is improved and background activity is reduced by getting rid of unused apps.

11. Try Quick Launch.

If you’re having issues with your phone’s default launcher that it is slow or unresponsive you can instead install a third party launcher to change up the look and feel of your home screen. Most of these third party launchers are designed for speed and minimal resource usage with a high degree of customization.

Nova Launcher and also Niagara Launcher are great choices which are reported to be easy on system resources.

12. Restore App Settings.

At times performance issues stem from bad options or apps you have forgotten about. Resetting app preferences will fix the issues that cause lag.

How to reset:

Settings – Apps – three dot menu – Reset app preferences.

This will not delete any data but we will reset notification settings, app restrictions, and permissions.

13. Factory Restore as a last resort.

If you have tried everything and your phone is still very slow, you may want to do a factory reset. It will return your phone to factory settings which in turn will remove years of built up grime, bugs, and unwanted files.

Before performing a factory reset:

Backup your important data which includes contacts, photos, and documents.

Settings – System – Factory Reset – Erase all data.

A fresh start will make that new phone feel like new again.

14. Think beyond the phone.

Too often the phone issue is an internet issue. If apps take forever to load, or videos don’t play, check your cell data or Wi-Fi connection. A switch to a faster network may fix what is thought to be a device issue.

Also it is a good idea to clean out your phone’s physical ports which may include the charging port as over time dust may affect performance or cause your phone to overheat.

15. Replace what is out of date.

If you have an old phone which is a few years out of date even the best care and feeding will only do so much. As more resource intensive apps and large memory users like Android grow in popularity, we see that older hardware has a harder time keeping up. If the above tips don’t bring you the performance you want, it may be time to look at getting a new phone which has more RAM, a faster processor, and better software support.

Conclusion

A slow-performing Android is an issue which in many cases can be put to rest. With simple maintenance and tech fixes you will see great speed and response time improvements. Start out by cleaning out those unneeded apps, free up space in your storage, also shut down background processes and when at it switch to lighter, less intensive versions of the heavy apps.

Bear in mind that even small changes like at times turning your phone off and on or limiting top tier animations do have an effect. A factory reset will give your phone a clean slate which in turn can improve performance.

Through what we have put forth in this tips section you are able to give your Android device a new lease of life and to also enjoy a faster more smooth performance which may delay that rush out to buy a new phone.