In this guide, we have compiled some of the most effective ways to speed up your Android device. But before we continue with the guide, let us look at some of the most common reasons why your phone becomes slow.
Most Common Reasons for a Slow Phone
As much as we think that the problem with our slow Android phone is unique to us, it really is not. Some common factors affect most smartphones (including iPhones), and fixing them should breathe new life into our aging phones.
1. Lack of Storage Space
As smartphones get older, they tend to fill up more quickly with photos, videos, music, and other files. When the internal storage is almost full, the device definitely slows down. When the memory runs out, the phone can not store any new data, so it has to overwrite old data, which can cause the phone to slow down.
2. Apps Running in the Background
Another common reason for your phone to be running slow is that too many apps are running in the background. Background apps can consume valuable resources and memory on your device, causing it to run slower. Many of these apps take up your phone’s resources even when you’re not using them, which can affect your phone’s performance.
3. Outdated Software
If your phone’s software, be it the operating system or the apps themselves, is outdated, it can also slow down. Older software can falter and become less efficient as new features and updates are released.
4. Older or Failing Battery
Another possible reason for a phone becoming sluggish is an older or failing battery. As your battery ages, it loses capacity and isn’t able to hold as much charge as it used to. This can result in your phone feeling slower, as it has to work harder to power all of its features.
5. Malware and Viruses
Malware and viruses can also cripple your phone. They’re a type of software that aims to harm your phone and thus can consume a lot of your phone’s resources, which can lead to a slow phone. Since Android isn’t exactly known for its security, you cannot rule out the possibility that malware is a cause of slow phones.
How Can You Speed Up Your phone?
You may have read or heard many tips on how to make your device faster. But the truth is that not all of these tips are effective. In this guide, we have compiled some of the most effective ways to speed up a slow phone. While these tips are meant for Android smartphones, most of them apply to iPhones as well. For a better overview, we have divided the tips into three categories: Let’s start with the first category: Maintenance Tips.
I. Maintenance Tips
1. Free Up Some Space
The first tip is to free up some space on your phone. As we mentioned earlier, your phone can slow down when the memory is full. So if you want to speed up your phone, you should delete all unnecessary files you do not need. You can start by deleting old photos or videos you no longer need. You can also delete any apps that you no longer use. If you have files you do not need; you can also delete them. To check the storage space on your phone, go to Settings > Storage. You can also search for “Storage” in the Settings search bar. When the storage space on your smartphone is full or almost full, you will see the message “Storage space running low. Free up some storage space on your smartphone, and you will notice a speed difference immediately! Hint: Check that WhatsApp media folder!
2. Uninstall Apps That You No Longer Need
Maybe your phone has become sluggish because you have too many apps installed on it. Even if you do not use an app, it can run in the background and take up your phone’s resources. So if you want to speed up your phone, you should uninstall all the apps you do not need anymore. Uninstalling apps, you do not need can help your phone run faster and smoother. To uninstall an app, go to Settings > Apps and select the app you want to uninstall. Then tap the “Uninstall” button. You can also uninstall an app by long-pressing the app icon and then dragging it to the “Uninstall” button.
3. Reboot Your Phone
Restarting your device is the easiest and most effective way to speed it up. When you reboot your phone, all the applications running in the background will be closed and restarted. This can help free up some of your phone’s resources and speed it up. You should reboot your phone at least once a week; if your device is lagging, you can try restarting it more frequently. To reboot your phone, press and hold the power button until you see the power menu (or power button + volume up on some phones). Then tap the “Restart” or “Reboot” button. If you have a newer phone with 6+ GB of RAM, you may not notice any speed difference after rebooting. However, if you have an older phone with 2-4 GB RAM, you will definitely notice a difference!
4. Clear the Cache
For every task you do on your phone, your phone stores some data in the form of a cache. The main purpose of the cache is to load things faster the next time you do the task. For example, when you go to a website in your browser, the browser stores some data from that website in the form of a cache. So the next time you go to the website, it will load faster because the data is already saved on your phone. However, the accumulation of cache data can lead to a slow cell phone. Accumulating cache data takes up memory space on RAM, which can slow your phone. So if you want to speed up your phone, you should clear the cache data regularly. When you clear the cache, you will immediately notice a difference in speed. To clear the cache data on your phone, go to Settings > Storage > Cache. Now clear all the cache data by tapping on the “Clear Cache” button.
5. Update Your Apps and Software
Every time a new version of an app is released, it brings bug fixes and performance improvements. So if you want your apps to run smoothly, you should update them to the latest version. When a new software update is available for your phone, you should install it as soon as possible. Developers are constantly working to improve the performance of their apps, so you should update your apps regularly. To update your apps, open the Google Play Store app and tap the “My apps and games” option. Now, all the apps for which an update is available will be listed under the “Updates” section. Now tap on the “Update All” option to update all the apps on your phone. When a new software update is available for your phone, a notification will appear in the notification bar. Tap on this notification and follow the on-screen instructions to install the update.
6. Calibrate the Battery
If you think your battery might be the issue, there are a few things you can do to try and speed up your phone. First, try calibrating your battery. This can sometimes help restore some of its lost capacity. Second, check the Android battery health using apps like AccuBattery. This should give you a clearer idea if the battery is failing. Finally, if all else fails, you may need to replace your battery entirely. Battery replacement is proven to speed up slowing phones like an iPhone and should also work for Android.
7. Factory Reset
This is the last resort if everything else fails. Factory reset deletes all data on your phone and restores it to its pre-purchase state. This includes all your apps, photos, videos, and files. So make sure you back up your data before you factory reset your phone. This is an extreme measure and should only be done if your phone is super sluggish and nothing else has worked. To reset your phone to factory settings, go to Settings > Backup & Reset > Factory Data Reset. Now tap on the “Reset phone” button and confirm your action. Make sure you have backed up important data before proceeding with this.
II. Optimization Tips
Sometimes, your phone is still slow even after following all the tips above. If that’s the case, you can try some of the following optimization tips.
1. Use a Lite Version of Apps
There are many lite versions of popular applications that require less memory and resources. So if you are using a resource-intensive app, you can try to switch to its lite version. For example, there are lite versions of Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Lite apps are designed to run smoothly on low-powered devices. So if you use a low-end phone, you should definitely use Lite apps. Google offers lite versions of its popular apps like Google Go, Maps Go, and Assistant Go. You can download them from the Google Play Store.
2. Changing Animations
Changing animations does not necessarily make your phone faster, but it does feel faster. By changing animations, you can make your phone feel snappier. You’ll see an animation when you open an application on your phone or return to the home screen. You can change system animation speed to make them faster. If you increase the animation speed, your phone will feel more responsive. You can also just disable the animations if you want. However, this might make your phone feel a little jerky. To change the animations on your phone, go to Settings > About phone > Tap on the build number until “You are now a developer” is displayed. Now go back to Settings, and there you will find a new menu “Developer Options“. Open the “Developer Options” menu and scroll down to the “Draw” section. In this section, you will find options to change the Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animator Duration Scale. You can set all of these options to “0.5x”. This will make your animations faster. You can also simply turn them off by setting them to “Off”.
3. Use a Different Launcher
A launcher is a part of your phone’s user interface that controls your home screen and app drawer. If you do not like the launcher that came with your phone, you can install another launcher. There are many great Android launchers available in the Google Play Store. Some of the most popular ones are Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, and Microsoft Launcher. These launchers offer many customization options that allow you to change the look and feel of your phone. They also have some performance-enhancing features. So if you are unsatisfied with your phone’s performance, you can use another launcher.
III. Application-Based Tips
Certain task-killing/management apps improve your Android phone’s performance by killing certain apps running in the background and consuming resources. However, we do not recommend using these apps as they can cause more problems than they solve. Use these apps if you have a low-end device and have trouble keeping it running smoothly, and none of those, as mentioned above tips worked well.
1. Use Greenify
Greenify helps you identify and hibernate apps when you are not using them to prevent them from slowing down your device or draining your battery. Its main purpose is to improve your device’s battery life. Nowadays, newer phones have an excellent default battery management system. Therefore, you may not need an app like Greenify. However, if you have an older phone or want to ensure your battery is managed properly, you can use Greenify.
2. Use CCleaner
CCleaner is an application that helps you clean up your device and free up memory. It can also help you boost your phone’s performance by cleaning up junk files. In addition, the app also offers some great optimization features. For example, you can use the app to disable certain apps running in the background and consuming resources. You can also use the app to monitor battery consumption and network usage.
3. Use SD Maid
This is my favorite cleaning app that you can use on your Android phone. SD Maid helps you clean up your device and free up storage space. It can also help you boost your phone’s performance by cleaning up junk files. The SD Maid app also helps you find duplicate files and folders on your phone. You can then delete these files to free up even more storage space. Another great feature of this app is that you can schedule automatic scans and cleanings with SD Maid Pro. This way, you don’t have to do it manually every time.
4. Use RAM Booster eXtreme Speed
As the name suggests, RAM Booster eXtreme Speed is designed to boost your phone’s performance by cleaning up RAM. It can help you improve your phone’s speed and responsiveness. It is a one-touch app. So you can just launch the app and tap the “Kill” button to clean up RAM. The app also has a widget that allows you to clean up RAM from the home screen.
Bonus Tip: Rooting Device
All of these tips will help improve your phone’s performance to some degree. But if you want to get the best possible performance out of your phone, you need to root it. Rooting allows you to take complete control of your device. You can install a custom ROM that can help you improve your phone’s performance. Keep in mind that rooting will void your phone’s warranty. So do it at your own risk. However, if your phone’s warranty has already expired, you have nothing to lose. Research thoroughly before rooting your phone, and ensure you know what you are doing. Some common software issues that can cause your phone to run slow are:
Too many apps installed Not enough storage space A lot of junk files and cache data Outdated operating system Outdated apps
Some common hardware issues that can cause your phone to run slow are:
A worn-out battery Not enough RAM
Go to Settings. Scroll down and tap on System. Next, tap on Developer Options > Memory. Look for “Memory used by Apps”. Here you will see the RAM usage by apps in the past 3 hours/6 hours/12 hours/1 day.
Here are some things you can do to try and speed up your slow Android phone:
Check your location and make sure you’re getting a good signal. Try restarting your phone. If you’re using Wi-Fi, try connecting to a different network or switch to mobile data (and vice versa). Check for updates for your apps and operating system. Make sure there’s no malware on your phone. Clear the cache and data for apps that are using too much storage.
