Daksh Pandey
Nowadays, smartphones have a vast amount of power, but people feel that their smartphones are becoming slow. The nice thing is that there is no need to download applications to increase the speed of your smartphone because most of your problems are from the setting, background, storage, and usage, not from your hardware.
This is a comprehensive tutorial on how to optimize your mobile speed using just inherent device settings, even on Android or iOS devices. The following steps, when followed with utmost precision, can make a huge impact on your device’s performance, speed, and overall user experience.
- Understand WHY Phones Become Slow
Prior to repairing the problem, it is necessary to identify the reasons behind it:
Typical Causes of Sluggish Mobile Devices
Too many background processes
Heavy Animations & Visual Effects
Overloaded storage (nearly full memory)
Over
Old cached data
Auto-sync & background refresh
Obsolete software
Too many notifications
Unoptimized system configurations
Heat and Battery Degradation
The thing is, phones don’t tend to become slow overnight but tend to gradually decline because of software bloat, not because your phone is weak.
- Restart Your Phone the Right Way
It is the easiest solution and the most overlooked.
The Benefits of Restarting:
Uses permanent memory (ROM)
Stops background applications & processes
Boosts System Performance
Fixes small glitches
Best Practice
Restart Ø Every 2-3 days
Do not use the “Always On” function for weeks
Even a clean reset might give your phone a speed boost.
- Animations und Effekte reduzieren
Animations are very beautiful but consume a lot of processor power.
On Android
Go to Settings > About Phone
Tap Build Number 7 times (Enables Developer Options)
Go back → Developer Options
Change:
Window animation scale → 0.5x or Off
Transition animation scale → 0.5x or Off
Animator duration scale → 0.5x or Off
???? Result: Applications launch quickly, and switching happens instantly.
On iPhone
Go to Settings > Accessibility
Tap Motion
Enable Reduce Motion
Turn on cross-fade transition effects
???? Result: Smooth UI with less lag.
- Controlling background application activity.
Most of the mobile applications run in the background even when you are not using them.
Android
Go to Settings > Apps > App Management
Choose the apps that you don’t use very often
Disable:
Background activity
Battery power in background
Unnecessary Permissions
iPhone
Go to Settings > General
Tap on “Background App Refresh”
Turn it OFF completely
OR
Keep it ON only for essential apps (WhatsApp, Email).
???? This single improvement adds significantly to faster speeds, improved battery life, and increased overall performance
- Free Up Internal Storage (Very Important)
Performance declines quickly once storage is full to 80-85% capacity.
What to Do (No App Needed)
Remove:
Old videos
Duplicate photos
Large WhatsApp media files
Unused downloads
Move Important Files To:
Cloud storage service (
Computer/L
External storage (Android)
Check Storage
Android: Settings > Storage
iPhone: Settings – General – iPhone Storage
???? Having a minimum of 20-25% free space is ideal.
- Clear Cache (Android Users)
The cache files tend to increase with time, which slows your computer down.
How to Clear Cache
Go to Settings > Storage
Tap Cached Data
Clear cache
Or individually:
Settings > Apps > Choose an App > Storage > Clear Cache
⚠️ DO NOT clean application data unless necessary!
???? It helps in increasing responsiveness with no loss of data when the cache
- Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications
Every alert activates your mobile processor.
WHY IT MATTERS
Constant background activity
Added lag
Battery drain
How to Optimize
Disable notifications for:
Games
Online shopping apps
Promotional Applications
“Keep notifications for:”
Calls
Messages
Emails
Banking Applications
???? Less notifications = faster performance.
- Optimize Auto-Sync & Accounts
Auto-sync ensures that the applications run in the background all the time.
Android
Settings > Accounts
Choose which Google accounts to use
Turn OFF syncing for:
Unused Services
Often unused applications
iPhone
Settings > Mail > Accounts
Fetch New Data:
Manually
OR
Fetch every 30-60 minutes
???? Controlled sync = faster phone.
- Keep Your Software Updated (But Carefully)
WHY UPDATES MATTER
Bug Fixes
Performance enhancements
Security improvements
Best Strategy
Installing stable updates
Beta updates when performance is a priority
| Update apps regularly but:
Turn off auto-update over mobile data
???? Old software is laggy, while buggy updates are unstable.
- Widgets & Live Wallpapers
“These widgets and live wallpapers are nice but consume a lot of resources.”
“Though the
What to Do
Eliminates unused widgets
Use static wallpapers
Prevent animated lock screens
???? It should be clean on your home screen.
- Disable Unused Connectivity Functions
These are always searching for signals:
Bluetooth
GPS
NFC
Nearby device scanning
Wi-Fi scanning
BEST PRACTICE
Turn them ON only when needed
Turn off background scanning in Settings
???? It helps reduce the load on the CPU and the amount
- Control App Permissions
Then, there are apps that abuse the use of permissions, which run
Check Permissions
Android: Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager
iPhone: Settings -> Privacy & Security
Revoke Access
Location (set to “While Using App”)
Background location
Microphone
Camera
???? The fewer permissions, the less background activity.
- Do Not Overheat Your Smartphone
Heat slows processors automatically (thermal throttling).
Avoid
Playing while charging
Using a phone under direct sunlight
Performing heavy multitasking tasks
Cheap chargers
Tips
It is advised that thick covers be removed during charging
Let the cell phone cool before using it heavily
The cooler the phone, the faster it runs.
- Battery Health (Especially iPhone)
The degraded battery slows the speed of the CPU to prevent shutdowns.
Check Battery Health
iPhone: Settings > Battery > Battery Health
Android: Monitor Battery Trends
If Battery Is Weak
Avoid low-battery usage
Use optimized charging
Replace Battery, If Required
???? Good Battery = Good Performance.
- Employ Features of a Lighting System
Enabling
Battery Saver (even at 20–30
“Lite” modes (where supported)
| DescriptiveName | DescriptiveName |
|---|---|
| Disable |
Always on Display (in case it is not necessary
High refresh rate when there is lag
Heavy accessibility features
- Reset Network Settings (Optional)
On some occasions, the lag might result from network conflicts.
What This Fixes
Slow internet
Applications loading slowly
Connectivity glitches
???? This removes saved Wi-Fi & Bluetooth devices.
???? It’s useful when the applications are sluggish when online.
- Skip Task Killers & “Cleaner” Apps
Even though we’re talking about no apps, this is important:
Task Killers Slows Down Phones
Cleaners run in background uninterruptedly
“System already manages RAM efficiently”
???? Manual tuning is always better.
- Practice Good Charging Techniques
Poor charging has an effect on performance.
Best Practices
Charge 20%–80
Avoid overnight charging
Use original chargers or certified ones
Try to avoid fast charging on a regular basis
???? The speed is dependent on the condition of the battery.
- Arrange Apps Wisely
Tips
Uninstall applications that are no longer being used
Turn off pre-installed bloatware
Applications on Home Screen Should Be Minimal
No repeat applications for the same tasks
The fewer things a system has, the faster it runs.
- When All Else Fails: Factory Reset (Last Option)
In case your mobile is extremely slow:
Before Reset
Backup data
Store significant passwords
After Reset Only install necessary applications Don’t restore junk backups ???? It makes your Smartphone feel brand new. Final Conclusion It is not necessary that you use high-performance phones and speed-enhancing apps to make your smartphone run with increased speed. Even with some adjustments in fundamental settings, regulating background activity, storage, and usage practices, your smartphone can be made faster.
Key Takeaway
