Why is my Android phone so slow? 10 ways to speed it up

A new Android phone feels fast, and a year or two later the same phone lags when you open the camera or switch apps. That rarely means the phone is worn out. Storage fills up, apps pile up background tasks, settings drift, and updates change what the phone has to do. Most of this can be reversed in an afternoon. Here is how to find the cause, fix it, and tell when the phone really has reached its limit.

Is it the phone or the internet?

If apps open quickly but feeds, videos and web pages crawl, the connection is the problem, not the phone. Run a speed test on Wi-Fi and on mobile data. If one is fine, restart the router or move closer to it. If the phone lags when typing, opening the camera or scrolling settings, even in airplane mode, the slowdown is in the phone, and the steps below apply.

Find what is slowing it down

• Storage: open Settings › Storage (Samsung: Settings › Device care › Storage). If it is more than 90% full, fix that first.
• Heavy apps: open Settings › Battery and look at which apps use the most battery. The same apps are usually using the most processor time.
• Age: a phone with 3 or 4 GB of memory will struggle with today’s apps no matter what you do.

How to speed up your Android phone

Settings that quietly slow a phone

• Power saving mode: limits the processor and background activity. Handy on a long day, but turn it off when you need speed. It is in Settings › Battery on most phones.
• Performance profile: some Galaxy models offer a Light profile that trades speed for battery life and lower heat. If the phone feels sluggish, check whether Light is selected in the battery or Device care settings.
• Live wallpapers: animated wallpapers use processing power. A still image is lighter.
• Too many widgets and launchers: a third-party launcher with lots of effects can make the home screen lag. Switch back to the built-in one to compare.

Keyboard or Chrome lagging?

If typing lags, clear the keyboard app’s cache: go to Settings › Apps, find Samsung Keyboard or Gboard, tap Storage and Clear cache. Turning off features you do not use, such as predictive text in several languages, can help too. If Chrome is slow, close old tabs, which many people let build into the hundreds, and clear browsing data in Chrome › Settings › Privacy and security. See how to clear app cache on Android.

Heat, battery and microSD cards

• Heat: a hot phone slows its processor to cool down. Gaming while charging and sun on a car dashboard are the usual triggers. Let it cool and speed returns.
• Battery wear: an old battery can struggle to deliver peak power, which can show as stutters and restarts. Samsung Members diagnostics can test it.
• microSD cards: apps or large folders stored on a slow or cheap card open slowly. Move apps back to internal storage, and use a card rated for app performance (A1 or A2) if you rely on one.

Pixel and Motorola tips

On a Pixel, check for both a system update in Settings › System › Software updates and a Google Play system update in Settings › Security & privacy › System & updates, since they are separate. Pixel’s Adaptive Battery learns which apps you use and limits the others, so give it a few days after a reset before judging speed. On Motorola, the Moto app’s gestures and display features are light, but third-party launchers and live wallpapers are common culprits on older models.

Skip “booster” and “cleaner” apps

The Play Store is full of apps that promise to boost, clean or cool your phone. Android already manages memory, and apps that keep closing others force them to restart, which uses more power and makes things slower. Many of these apps also show heavy ads or ask for broad permissions. Uninstall them. Samsung’s Device care and Google’s Files app do the useful parts, such as finding junk files and duplicates, for free and without ads.

Remove or disable bloatware

Carrier and brand apps you never use can still run in the background. Many can be uninstalled normally. System apps that cannot be removed can often be disabled: go to Settings › Apps, open the app and tap Disable. Only disable apps you recognize and do not use, and skip anything that looks like a core system service.

Keep it fast: a monthly routine

• Restart the phone once a week, or let Samsung’s Auto restart do it overnight.
• Install system and app updates when they arrive.
• Keep at least 10% of storage free, and clear downloads and old videos.
• Delete apps you have not opened in a couple of months.
• Close Chrome tabs you no longer need.

Ten minutes a month keeps most phones feeling close to new for years. It also means you notice problems early, such as an app that suddenly uses a lot of battery or storage that fills up faster than usual, before they turn into a slow, frustrating phone. If you share the phone with a child or an older relative, set up the same routine on theirs.

When is it time for a new phone?

Check how long your phone gets updates. Recent Galaxy S and Pixel models are promised up to seven years of Android and security updates, while many budget phones get far fewer. A phone that no longer receives security updates is both slower with new apps and less safe. If yours is there, and it is still slow after a factory reset, putting money toward a new phone makes more sense than repairs. Trade in the old one; even a slow phone that works has value. Back it up first with our Android backup guide.