Ever tried to open an app on your phone and had to get up and go to bed before it opened? This is the reality for many Android users, whether it is lag or a slow operating system. Most times individuals believe that the solution to such long hours of loading time is due to a small random memory capacity.
While this may be true, have you noticed that even after getting an Android device with a bigger memory the same event plays out? That is because apart from the RAM’s capacity, there are other pending problems you might not be paying attention to.
However, sometimes your phone’s slow response might also be a hint of a gradually waning panel or a virus. But entertain no fear as we take a look into the simple ways to make your Android load faster.
Check for pending software updates
Have you ever tried to open your apps and see a notification to update the app? Sometimes your device needs to update itself and would prefer it happens with an unrestricted data source.
However, the latest software updates may not always speed up your Android device, Android authority says that “manufacturers often optimize and fine-tune their software over time. A few Android security patches and bug fixes should also improve the overall experience. The same goes for Google Play Services, which is responsible for many modern Android features and receives separate updates via the Play Store”.
It added, “Most Android smartphones check for updates periodically, but only under certain circumstances. To that end, it might be worth manually checking if you’ve missed any updates. Here’s how: Open the Settings app on your phone. Scroll to the bottom and tap on About Device. Tap Software Update and finally, Check for Updates.”
Restart your device occasionally
Sometimes, all you need is to restart your device. Android Authority explains that a slowing computer can be fixed by a simple power cycle. “It is not hard to see why — restarting your device clears previously running apps, background processes, and other things that add up over time. Press and hold your phone’s power button and tap Restart.”
When your phone restarts, it is like forcing it to sleep and forcing certain apps to shut down at least for a while. This may not solve the main problem of the android but it gives you ample time to decide what might be wrong.
Clear cache for individual apps
Cache data is often stored in volumes on our phones.
“This tip might be helpful if you have noticed that some apps on your phone perform worse than others. Web browsers and other general-purpose apps tend to accumulate data (cache) anytime you navigate to a new website or page. Over time, this can pile up and potentially bog down the app’s performance”. Android Authority notes.
It explains that you can fix it by clearing the cache data or uninstalling the app.”We recommend the former, as it doesn’t erase other data like your logins, history, and preferences. From your home screen, tap and hold the app’s icon until a menu pops up. Then, navigate to App Info > Storage > Clear cache.”
Delete old chats and downloaded media
As explained in the previous tip, an app on your smartphone can get bloated with enough time and use. This applies to chat apps too. WhatsApp, for example, not only stores downloaded data on your local storage, but also the entire chat database. This can be a big problem on slower devices, especially if you’ve collected tens of thousands of messages over the years.
Fixing this problem is easy but a bit long-winded. You’ll have to clean up unimportant conversations every few weeks manually. Don’t forget to delete media files too. This can help speed up your Android device’s gallery app and image picker.
Replace performance-hogging apps with lite versions
According to Kaspersky, Phones tend to accumulate software over time. You see an app that might be useful, and you install it, but you never use it. All the same, it’s taking up space, and it may well be running certain processes in the background even though you haven’t opened it. This all slows your phone down, so looking at your apps and reducing the number downloaded can help speed up your Android phone.
“A small refinement might be worthwhile if you use apps that are resource-greedy, like Facebook or YouTube. Many apps have lightweight versions, with a tiny footprint, designed to be on very basic devices and on low bandwidth 2G connections. Sometimes, they are only available in emerging countries, but many can be downloaded by anyone, anywhere,” Kaspersky highlights.
Delete old chats and downloaded media
Did you know that chats on social media also take up space, especially bulky messages from various group chats?
“As explained in the previous tip, an app on your smartphone can get bloated with enough time and use. This applies to chat apps too. WhatsApp, for example, not only stores downloaded data on your local storage, but also the entire chat database,” Android authority adds.
Whatsapp in a help report says, “If you choose to delete an item, it will be deleted from your WhatsApp media. Deleted items might still be saved on your device. If you have multiple copies of an item, you’ll also need to delete all copies in order to free up space. On the CHATS tab, tap More Options> Settings. Tap Storage and data > Manage storage. Tap Forwarded many times, Larger than 5 MB, or select a specific chat.”
Whatsapp notes that if the amount of available storage on your device reaches critically low levels, WhatsApp might not be able to function properly. If this happens, WhatsApp might prompt you to free up space in order to continue using the app.
“You can also free up space by deleting apps you don’t use or large videos, photos, or files saved on your phone. For more information about how to free up storage on your phone outside of WhatsApp, please contact your phone’s manufacturer.”
Consider using web apps
Most times except the app is extremely important rather than download and install on your device you can just opt for the web application to manage your storage better. Web apps function just like their mobile devices the only difference is that you cannot access them on your phone except through a browser. If it is an app you use regularly you can bookmark the page.