Before you start
- An Android phone
- A backup before you try a factory reset
Method 1 Quick fixes (5 minutes)
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Step 1: Restart
Hold the power button (or power + volume up on some phones) and tap Restart. It clears stuck processes and memory leaks. Do it once a week.
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Step 2: Free up storage
Open Settings > Storage. Phones slow down badly when storage is almost full. Aim for at least 10–15% free. Use Files by Google > Clean to remove junk, duplicates and large files.
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Step 3: Update everything
Install updates in Settings > System > Software update (Samsung: Software update) and in Play Store > profile > Manage apps & device.
Method 2 Remove what slows you down
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Step 1: Find heavy apps
Check Settings > Battery > Battery usage and Settings > Storage > Apps for apps using lots of power or space.
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Step 2: Uninstall unused apps
Press and hold an app icon and tap Uninstall. For preinstalled apps that can’t be removed, open App info and tap Disable.
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Step 3: Clear a misbehaving app’s cache
If one app is slow, go to Settings > Apps > [app] > Storage > Clear cache.
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Step 4: Simplify your home screen
Remove live widgets you don’t use (weather, news, shopping) and switch off live wallpapers.
Method 3 Make animations faster
This doesn’t make the processor faster, but menus open noticeably quicker. Leave other developer settings alone.
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Step 1: Turn on Developer options
Go to Settings > About phone (Samsung: About phone > Software information) and tap Build number seven times.
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Step 2: Change animation scales
Open Settings > System > Developer options (or at the bottom of Settings on Samsung). Set Window animation scale, Transition animation scale and Animator duration scale to 0.5x.
Method 4 Use built-in optimisers
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Step 1: Samsung Device care
Go to Settings > Device care and tap Optimize now. Turn on Auto optimization to restart and clean up automatically at night.
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Step 2: Lite apps
On older phones, use lighter versions of apps: Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite (where available), Google Go, or use websites in Chrome instead of apps.
Method 5 Last resort: factory reset
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Step 1: Back up
Back up photos (Google Photos), contacts and WhatsApp chats. Check Settings > Google > Backup is up to date.
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Step 2: Reset
Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). Samsung: General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
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Step 3: Install only what you need
After setup, reinstall apps gradually. A clean phone with fewer apps stays fast longer.
Troubleshooting
The phone is slow and gets hot
Check Battery usage for an app using lots of power, and remove the case while charging. Persistent heat can also mean an ageing battery.
It’s slow only after an update
Give it a day: phones optimise apps in the background after major updates. Then restart and clear the cache of any app that misbehaves.
Still slow after a reset
The hardware may simply be too old for current apps, or the storage chip is wearing out. A battery replacement can help if the phone throttles because of battery health.
Frequently asked questions
Does clearing the cache speed up Android?
Clearing one app’s cache can fix that app. Clearing all caches regularly doesn’t help; apps rebuild them, which slows things down at first.
How much free storage do I need?
Keep at least 10–15% free, or around 5–10 GB. Below that, performance drops noticeably.
Will a factory reset make my phone faster?
Usually yes, for a while, especially if you reinstall fewer apps. But it’s the last step: try the other fixes first.
Summary
Restart, free up storage, update, and remove apps you don’t use; most phones feel fast again after that. Set animations to 0.5x for extra snappiness, skip booster apps, and keep a factory reset for when nothing else works.
