How to speed up Android phones that anyone can do

You don’t need to replace or upgrade your old Android phone. The tips below can help you speed up your Android phone easily.

Check for updates in the queue

While the latest software updates don’t always make your Android device faster, manufacturers often optimize and tweak their software over time. A few security patches and Android bug fixes will also improve the overall experience. The same applies to Google Play Services, which is responsible for many modern Android features and receives separate updates through the Play Store.

Most Android smartphones check for updates periodically, but only under certain circumstances. So, you should manually check if you have missed any updates.

How to do it:

1. Open Setting on the phone.
2. Scroll down and touch System.
3. Touch Software Update > System Update, Check for Updates. You’ll see a brief description of any pending updates.

Disable pre-installed applications

Most smartphones have presets, but sometimes they may not really work for you. This is especially true of low-end, ad-filled devices, which often prioritize installing their own services over apps you can actually use.

Although manufacturers usually prevent you from uninstalling these apps, they still allow you to disable them. In other words, although you can’t delete them completely, you can put them into hibernation. You can disable the application from the menu Settings > Applications > Installed applications.

Revoke unused rights

If you don’t want to uninstall or disable an app, but still want it to consume as few resources as possible, consider using Android’s permissions manager to limit its activity. Meanwhile, turning off other permissions like location access and autostart can also reduce how often apps try to operate in the background.

Just enter Settings > Privacy > Permissions Manager to see a quick overview of app permissions. Or, press and hold any app icon on the home screen, tap Application information > select Rights.

Occasionally restart the device

Sometimes a slow computer can be fixed by restarting the device. The reason is simple — restarting your device clears running apps, background processes, and other things that build up over time. Just press and hold your phone’s power button and touch Restart.

Even so, Android phones may remain in the same state after a few days. Luckily, some user interfaces from manufacturers like Samsung’s One UI let you schedule automatic reboots at certain times. You can even set it to restart on certain days of the week.

Clear application cache

This tip can be useful if you notice some apps are performing worse than others. Web browsers and other general-purpose applications often accumulate data (cache) every time you visit a new website or page. Over time, this can build up and degrade application performance.

You can fix this by clearing the cache or completely reinstalling the app. You should prefer the first option, as it does not delete other data such as your login information, history, and preferences. From the home screen, touch and hold the app icon until a menu appears. Then navigate to App info > Storage > Clear cache.