Rumors of Apple intentionally slowing down old iPhones make an Android user distrustful as well. The users might feel like they have no control over their Android phone’s sluggishness, but that’s far away from the truth. Many reasons contribute to the slowness of Android devices. However, one can quickly solve these issues with simple tricks that speed up the android phone. Many Android phone users don’t prefer upgrading their devices as they see a new model in the market. The old Android devices are often seen functioning sluggishly. Before we move towards the tricks to speed up Android phones, let us understand why Android phones are getting slow.
Why do Android smartphones become slow?
First, there is a need to understand why Android phones lose their speed and smoothness over time. Is it just a natural deterioration of the phone, or is it a defective handset that freezes for no reason? Don’t worry! There are numerous reasons why every smartphone becomes slow over time, and they are enlisted below with proper explanation.
Storage Full
“Device storage full” is one message that everyone dreads and no one wishes to see. However, an Android phone does reach this point sooner or later due to users’ constant desire to try and install new apps. These apps are the reason that makes the Android device slow over time and also causes frequent freeze spells. Users also ignore to delete the backed-up photos and videos from their internal storage as they are using a lot of space from the total storage.
Operating System update
Android phones are widely acknowledged for timely updates and upgrades. Although one enjoys new specifications and features that come along with it, it may not be the best option for every device. An outdated phone can become even slower after installing these new upgrades. Most companies use the tactics to slow down their users’ old phones by pushing a buggy OTA update. These updates make those phones so laggy that no one can dare use that phone. So, few of them try to fix that issue by repairing their device, while most customers end up buying the latest smartphone of that same company as they are familiar with their User Interface (UI).
Automatic App updates
Over time, Android phones become a junkyard for unnecessary apps. These unused apps take up storage and keep on updating automatically for no reason. Some app developers release frequent updates that eat up more space of CPU and RAM which slows down the phone eventually.
Hardware Needs
Android phone hardware needs optimum temperature and is regularly cleaned up to perform better. Playing games commonly overheats a phone, and sudden temperature changes also affect the processor power in the long run. Some other factors that contribute to the slow speed of an Android phone are dust gathering in the micro areas of the phone, condensation, or even free-falls of the phone.
Background Apps
An Android phone has multiple apps installed, and users only use some of those apps. Apps like local SMS, email, live wallpapers, etc., remain active throughout the day and consume a lot of battery and space. This phenomenon makes any fine-performing Android smartphone a little bit slower. Background apps suck up all the cache memory, which is the primary factor causing Android phones to slow down.
Phone Memory Degradation
Android smartphone uses NAND flash memory because it is fast and cheap. However, it slows down gradually if it dangerously fills up the total storage capacity. Even when there are many tasks performed on the phone simultaneously, it has to perform all the read and write operations at high intensity from memory. This can also cause degradation of phone memory. The quality of memory installed on the phone can be affected adversely in the long-term aspect.
Too many Apps
Running too many apps on the Android phone simultaneously can create performance issues. Switching from one app to another frequently uses a lot of memory and, therefore, it can cause a slow experience if other apps are running on standby. Heavy apps also slow down the phone if there is insufficient RAM. Some of the famous examples of such heavy apps are Call of Duty, Facebook, and many more.
Tips to speed up your Android phone
After understanding why the Android phone potentially starts slowing down, now it’s time to discuss solutions that can help you speed up Android phones.
Free up space
To ensure the smooth functioning of the Android device, the internal phone storage capacity should never be filled to the brim. Navigate to settings to know how much storage has been consumed already. Install junk cleaner apps like CCleaner and Avast to free up the space if the Android phone does not have any inbuilt app like this. Only with a few taps can CCleaner free a few MBs of the space, which can eventually lead the smartphone to boost its performance.
Use a lite version of apps
App developers understand the burning space issue of modern Android users. This is why all the famous and essential apps like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer lite versions. Lite versions work fast and occupy less space. So, using lite versions of available apps is the best solution to speed up Android phones for users who go through space troubles.
Uninstall unused apps
It’s important to periodically clean up the phone and get rid of all the apps that have been installed on their own without the users’ knowledge and those apps that have never been used or serve no purpose anymore. Manufacturers deliberately install some apps in the form of OTA updates. Those apps are famously known as bloatware apps. Uninstalling the unnecessary apps will free up space and eventually speed up the Android phone.
Update the software
Android manufacturers are continually improving user experience through regular updates and upgrades. These software updates work magically for a while after buying, and after that, they always lag. They offer new features, specifications, smoothness, and better performance. It helps to free up resources that, in turn, assist in the smooth functioning of the system. This is suggested only during the first few months of the smartphone launch because, after 2-3 years, companies deliberately push OTA updates that slow down the phone. So, update your phones cautiously after reading the update description correctly.
Clear cache
Apps store data continuously and optimize the recommendations according to that data. Data like previously watched videos saved sites, hotels booked, products looked for, and many more. All this data gets saved, which sometimes makes the app load slow. Clearing the cache can free up tons of space that will improve the speed of the Android device.
Turn off automatic updates
It’s possible that the Android user might not have turned off the apps’ automatic updates that can fill up the space more quickly than anything else. To prevent this from happening, navigate to play store > settings > Auto-update apps > select either “over wi-fi only or don’t update apps.” This process helps control the space and manually decide which apps need updates.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage provides additional storage from 1 GB to 1 TB. This helps in freeing the internal storage of the Android device. Cloud automatically backs up, protects the data, and lets users share the files. This way, the internal storage does not fill up and continues to function smoothly.
Developer options
This trick can significantly improve the speed of the Android device. Developer options can change the transition and window animations. Navigate settings > about phone > consecutively tap five times on the build number to enable the developer option. Now, the developer options will appear in the settings, which provides additional settings to users such as slide animation duration > transition animation scale > turn windows animation scale to off.
Don’t update phone
For outdated Android phones, installing updates might do more harm than good. Old phones generally have low storage space, while new upgrades require more space to run smoothly. This condition of any phone may affect the performance, make the phone laggy, and mess up the daily functioning of essential apps.
Restart phone
It’s a good idea to restart the Android phone once every few days like every other machine, such as a laptop and desktop. Restarting can also speed up the Android device, although not for a longer time frame. Rebooting also helps to delete temporary files and free up resources in the background. It explicitly benefits low-end Android devices with low RAMs, such as 4GB or 6GB.
Reset Device
When no option works, the reset button comes to the rescue. If the Android device has slowed down tremendously, a factory reset can surely improve the smoothness and give you high speed. But before resetting the device, it’s essential to take a backup of crucial data and files. Navigate to the settings and select the factory reset option to imply a factory reset in any Android smartphone.
Summary
The usage of the Android phone has increased tremendously. Although some tips and tricks help keep the phone clean and perform smoothly, it is also evident that it will become slow over time. This article provides different ways to speed up their Android devices and enjoy a better overall experience. You may also have a look at some of the Android antivirus apps to get rid of malware that may be slowing down your phone.
