Oh boy.
Something BAAAD has happened: you've noticed that your phone isn't quite as fast as it
used to be.
Pity.
But before you start figuring out how to fit a new phone into your budget, try out these
tips to revive your digital friend.
Use lighter versions of apps.
Many popular apps, including Facebook and YouTube, have “lite” versions with the
same set of features as the regular apps.
They’re often designed for weaker smartphones and for users who want to keep things simple.
Switching to them can improve performance of your phone.
As a bonus, you’ll spend less on your data bills.
Get rid of bloatware.
Apps that come pre-installed on your phone and require excessive memory are called bloatware.
They might slow down your phone.
If you don’t plan to use them, it’s better to disable or delete them if you can.
Unfortunately, not all apps included by the manufacturer can be just uninstalled.
So, let’s just move on…
Try another launcher.
The launcher lets you customize the phone’s interface to the max.
But some Android phones have default launchers that are heavily skinned and eventually make
the interface cumbersome.
In this case, you should consider getting a third-party launcher.
However, it can take time to find the right one for you.
But when you manage to do it, the lightweight launcher will make all the difference in the
world.
Use internal memory for apps.
You might think that storing most of your apps on an SD card is a good idea just because
it frees up internal storage.
But in reality, internal memory is way faster than SD cards even if it's limiting the storage.
If there’s not enough space for all your apps in the internal memory, move only those
apps you don’t use much to the SD card.
Cut down on visual effects.
Yeah, a bright and flashy live wallpaper looks cool, and having so many widgets on your home
screen seems convenient.
But all these things put extra load on the device and affect its performance.
Switch to a simple background image and don’t forget to delete all widgets that update automatically.
What kind of wallpaper do you have right now?
Let me know in the comments!
Keep all your stuff in the cloud.
Internal memory is only for apps, remember?
Everything else, like numerous selfies, pictures of your sleeping cat, important documents,
and downloaded music should go to the cloud.
This will not only make it easier for your phone to operate but also will make all your
stuff accessible across different devices and free up valuable internal storage.
Update apps only over Wi-Fi.
Many apps need to update themselves in the background to give you fresh information all
the time or do other things such as upload files, photos, videos, blah blah blah.
So disabling background data can speed up your phone.
Also, denying apps access to mobile networks for updating will save your precious mobile
data.
So, go to the Settings > Auto-update apps, and choose “Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi
only”.
Format your SD card.
If your apps keep crashing (oh, that pain when it happens in the middle of a game!),
in some cases a corrupt SD card might be to blame.
That’s why formatting your SD card can give your phone a much-needed boost.
Besides, it will delete the unnecessary junk of files created by the Android system and
various apps.
Clear app cache.
The apps you don’t often open but still want to keep on your device (like those for
booking flights or ordering food) still can consume much space when they are not in use.
That’s why you need to clear the cached data regularly.
This will help both your phone and these apps run smoother because old data can lead to
lagging and crashing.
Just keep in mind — clearing the app cache deletes the preferences the app has saved.
Delete power-hogging apps.
Snort snort!
Sometimes just one poorly designed app might be the problem because it keeps stealing your
phone’s processing power and might even be the reason why it shuts down randomly.
Looking through your smartphone’s battery usage can help you pinpoint which app it is.
Do yourself a favor and choose a better alternative if possible.
Turn off the ambient screen.
The ambient screen is a great feature if you want to take a quick look at the notifications
you’ve received without having to unlock your phone.
But you’ve probably noticed it drains your battery faster.
And everything that is battery-draining eventually affects your phone’s processing power.
So, disable the ambient screen to help your digital friend stay strong.
Disable animations.
When your phone is brand new, animations make all the transitions and interactions with
your operating system appear fluid and smooth.
But when it gets old, animations wear off as well.
If you see that animations are getting slower, consider turning them off completely to save
a bit of processing power and make the navigation faster.
Tweak Chrome.
Many phone users surf the net using this browser but have no idea there’s a way to optimize
it.
To do it, open Chrome homepage, tap in the upper-right corner to see the overflow menu,
and go to Settings.
Then choose Data Saver and toggle the switch to enable it.
Now you get faster browsing and save mobile data!
Shut off push notifications.
Of course, alerts from some apps might be very important to you.
But do you really need to see when it's time to rate the restaurant where you had dinner
yesterday?
Most apps you've just downloaded think the answer is yes.
Tweak the settings a bit and turn off unnecessary notifications.
Otherwise, apps will constantly check if there's something new to show you on the screen, stealing
your battery power.
Turn off things you don’t need.
I’m talking about apps that don’t actually need to track your location but still do;
Bluetooth that is on by default on most devices; and turned on Wi-Fi when not in use.
All these features make your phone work harder because it keeps looking for a new connection
as long as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi are enabled and checking with the satellites to make sure
you haven’t changed your location.
Most phones let you control all these features from the quick settings menu.
Avoid temperature extremes.
Your phone likes extreme temperatures no better than any of us.
It works properly because all sorts of chemical reactions are happening inside its battery.
And really low temperatures mess them up.
As for high temperatures, your phone generates its own heat, and if it’s a scorching summer
day, the device just has to perform all tasks slower to avoid overheating.
By the way, that’s why you shouldn’t leave your phone under the pillow overnight, especially
if it’s charging.
Keep the system and apps updated.
Usually, operating system updates include bug fixes and tweaks that improve overall
stability.
Which means they help your phone perform better.
The same goes for different apps – updates help you navigate them effortlessly.
Delete apps you don’t use.
You’ve heard that million times, I know!
But I bet there are still one or two apps on your phone that you don’t remember opening
last time.
Get this — various apps that live inside your smartphone run all the time and stay
connected to the internet to keep working.
And this makes them a pointless burden for the hardware.
Reset your phone.
If nothing I’ve said before helped and your phone has slowed down to the level that it
can’t do basic things, then brace yourself, Bright Sider.
It’s time for the last resort: factory reset.
This action will reset device settings and erase all the data like your photos, videos,
apps, cache, etc.
So, don’t forget to back-up everything you want to keep before starting.
I hope you were taking notes, I’m not going to repeat myself.
Unless you watch this again.
Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a
friend!
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Just click to the left or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!