You might be thinking it’s time to upgrade your Android phone if it’s been slowing down several times a day. But, before you go out and buy a new one—assuming you’ve already tried a basic restart—there are a few other things you can do to reduce or eliminate those pesky stutters.
Update the software on your Android phone
Updates frequently include performance and security enhancements as well as bug fixes. All of these factors are important and can help your smartphone run faster. Go to Settings > System update, and tap Download and install.
Update laggy apps to fix random slowdowns
You might notice that the apps you use the most are slowing down. For example, while Facebook or Instagram may be slow, the rest of your phone is running smoothly. In this case, the first step is to go to the Play Store and update the offending apps. (In Play Store, tap your profile picture in the top-right corner, select Manage apps & device, and then go to the Manage tab.) Updates may address issues that cause slowdowns in a variety of Android applications.
Disable animations
A phone that is particularly old may no longer be able to handle Android’s animations smoothly. If that’s the case, you might want to disable animations on your Android phone. To do so, you must first enable developer mode: Scroll to the bottom of Settings > About phone. The developer mode on your Android phone will be enabled after you tap Build number seven times.
Go to Settings > System > Developer options and scroll down to the Drawing section. Tap Window animation scale, and select Animation off. Then select the same option under Transition animation scale and Animation duration scale.
Your phone won’t have the same snazzy UI anymore, but it may run faster, which is worth the trade-off.
Limit apps that run in the background
Most Android phones are good at freezing background apps so they don’t slow down your phone’s performance. If you’re experiencing slowdowns, however, you might want to consider limiting the number of apps that can run in the background. To complete the task, you’ll need to enable developer mode once more. (For more information, see the instructions above.)
Go to Settings > System > Developer options, and then scroll down to the Apps section. Select Background process limit and select the best option for you. You can choose to have any app run in the background or have one to four apps run in the background when you’re not using them.
While this may improve your phone’s performance, keep in mind that it will reduce battery life because most apps will have to be launched each time you open them, which consumes more system resources and, as a result, drains your battery.
Free up storage space
Too many apps and data stored on your phone can also cause it to slow down. Its performance can be greatly improved by freeing up space. If your phone is lagging, go through your app library and delete any apps you don’t use. To uninstall an app, press and hold its icon and select Uninstall. (Before removing an app, make sure it’s unlinked from your accounts.)
Go to Settings > Storage > Manage Storage if you’re having trouble finding unused apps. This will take you to the Google Files app, where you’ll find a card labeled “Delete unused apps.” Select apps, then tap Uninstall after selecting the apps you want to remove.
It’s also worth noting that some apps, such as Netflix, allow you to save downloaded files to your microSD card (if your phone has one). Freeing up internal storage on your device can help it run faster.
Take a moment to clear the app cache while you’re at it.
Factory reset the device
If all else fails, a factory reset will erase all data and return the device to its factory settings. However, this will erase everything from your smartphone, so it should only be used as a last resort. Check to see if your Android backups are working properly, and make a backup of your device to avoid losing data.
Then go to Settings > System > Advanced options > Erase all data (factory reset), and follow the on-screen prompts.
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