Our family is currently an Android family. We have Android phones and an Android tablet. I get extremely frustrated with my Droid Maxx 2 because it will freeze up at random, there are times when I go to take a picture and I get nothing but a black screen, or I take a quick picture only to realize later that there was a delay between my pressing the camera button and the phone actually taking the picture. This usually results in a photograph of my feet or the inside of my purse.
In the big scheme of things, a slow phone isn’t such a huge problem. But in the moment when you’re trying to accomplish a basic task and your phone is taking forever to do a simple download, it seems like a major issue. Knowing what’s slowing your smartphone down is an important key to improving its performance.
1. Old Photos and Videos
One of the easiest ways to keep your Android running smoothly is to remove things you no longer need. Photos and videos are among the biggest culprits; they take up quite a bit of space. If you want to keep them, consider transferring them to a storage device or computer, or try a cloud storage service like Google Photos or the Apple iCloud Photo Library.
2. The App Cache
While the term “app cache” might sound intimidating, it’s actually pretty simple. TLDR is this: Your phone’s application cache is used for storing web resources so that they’re faster to retrieve later, if needed. Cached resources can sometimes reduce the amount of data you use since they don’t need to be downloaded from the network. There are a few other benefits that come with cached data. These might or might not outweigh your desire for faster performance, which you’ll get when you clear your phone’s cache.
3. Useless Files
Old files take up a huge amount of space and slow down your device. One of the fastest, easiest ways to get rid of them is with a simple tool that clears unneeded files automatically while speeding up navigation.
4. Unwanted Apps
Some apps run in the background, whether you use them or not. You can sometimes speed your device by removing these. The following app removal steps work on most phones.
- Go to “Settings”
- Choose “Apps”
- Select “All”
- Scroll through the list. You’ll see how much space each app needs.
- One by one, tap the apps that you want to uninstall and click the “Uninstall” button. If no uninstall button is available, the app is pre-installed on your device. You may have the option to turn off or disable apps that can’t be uninstalled.
5. Large Apps
Large apps like Gmail, Twitter, and Facebook are convenient if you’re a heavy user. If you don’t rely on these, or if you’re desperate for faster performance, consider deleting them. You can visit the equivalent websites by using your mobile browser, and you’ll have far less information clogging your phone. I’ve personally removed any app that I can access via the mobile browser and it has helped tremendously!
For the ultimate in smartphone housecleaning, you have the option of wiping your phone completely clean. Start by backing up any important information using the instructions that came with your device (these are usually available online, too) and bring your phone back to its original factory settings. This lets you start from scratch. If this feels like too much of a challenge, consider bringing your phone in to your carrier. Someone there may be able to help you with the backup and reset process so your phone feels like new.
