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Do you ever feel like your phone seems to slow down over time? Turns out that there is some truth to that slowdown. But when you’re not ready for a phone upgrade, you can settle with some of these options to speed up your phone.
Move Your Files to Your SD Card
As mentioned, filling your phone with too many programs can take up too much of its resources. Open up some of those resources by saving your apps, photos, documents, and other files to your SD card. You will still be able to access them and perform the same functions, but now you’ll free up some of your phone’s memory.
To move an app to your SD card, go to Applications in your Settings menu. Choose the appropriate app, and then click Move to SD Card.
Clear Your Task Manager
When too many apps are open and running at once, it can often be too much for your phone to handle. Access your task manager by tapping and holding down on the home button while on your home screen. You can then scroll through the apps that are currently running. Just swipe them away to close them. This won’t affect your notifications or anything else related to the app. It just keeps it from running in the background.
Uninstall Apps You Don’t Use
Your phone has only so much memory, and applications that run in the background can take up so much of your device’s memory that it can’t devote as much resources to the app that you’re trying to run. Apps that run in the background include live wallpapers, widgets, and other apps that you don’t realize are open. To boost your phone’s speed, disable or uninstall these features, and get rid of any apps that you don’t use.
If you just can’t do without your apps, then perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. Consider getting a Galaxy Note 4, which will offer more compatibility with newer apps since it runs on Android 4.4 (that alone can speed up your phone), and you can get up to 64 GB of internal memory.
Clear Cached Data
Cached data should help your apps run quicker, but it can also backfire. The more data there is, the slower your phone will run, especially because there is likely data still in your phone from apps that you no longer use. Clearing your cached data should help your phone run more smoothly.
To do this, go to your Settings and then to Applications. Scroll over to All, click on the app for which you want to clear the cache, and then click Clear Cache. Certain apps like CCleaner can maintain your cache for you and speed things up without much work on your part.
Update Your Operating System
In some instances, updating to the latest version of Android can help your phone run faster since developers have ironed out various kinks. To do this, simply go to your Settings and choose About Phone. Then click Software Updates and Check for Updates. Be aware that older Android phones may not be compatible with newer versions of Android, so you may just have to stick with your existing OS until you can upgrade to a phone that is compatible with the latest updates.
Factory Reset Your Phone
If things are getting really bad on your phone, you can start all over. By factory-resetting your phone, you’ll get rid of all the junk that you’ve accumulated through downloads and updates. But be careful. This also means that you’ll be getting rid of important data as well, so be sure to back up your data before resetting your phone. To do this, go to your Settings, then to Back Up and Reset, and then to Factory Data Reset. Be sure that you’ve selected “Back up my data” and “Automatic restore” so that you’ll have your settings saved when you reinstall the apps that you really need.
While buying a new device with the latest operating system is perhaps the best way to enjoy top speeds on your Android phone, it’s not a practical solution for everyone. What step will you take first to speed up your device?
