Changing These 4 Android Phone Settings Made The System Feel Like New Again

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Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus
Kerry Wan/ZDNET

As a personification who covers user tech for a living, I get to usage a fewer twelve smartphones each year. While I almost ever counsel connected which is nan caller best smartphone, nan mostly of consumers don't upgrade each year. I person friends and family who show maine they don't want to upgrade and ask, "How tin I make my existent telephone faster?" I yet person an answer.

Also: I trial dozens of Android phones each year: Here's really Google, Samsung, and much stack up

I don't get to usage reappraisal devices for long, but I person picked up tips and tricks from years of acquisition that tin thief boost nan velocity of your aged Android phone. Before you ask, it doesn't impact rooting your device. These tips are easy to instrumentality for some tech-savvy consumers and nan mean Joe. 

If your Android telephone has started emotion slow, you should chiefly attraction connected clearing its storage. And if you're unsure astir wherever to begin, present are a fewer things you tin do to make your aged Android telephone faster.

1. Delete unused apps

Google Pixel 9a
Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Over time, phones tin cod a batch of unused apps and time off you pinch a cluttered space. You mightiness person utilized a QR scanner app from a edifice connected your years-old travel aliases a photograph editing app that is nary longer successful use. It is champion to uninstall specified apps to clear abstraction connected your Android phone. 

Also: I recovered a Google Maps replacement that won't way you aliases drain your artillery - and it's free

Decluttering your Android telephone tin make it faster because it won't request to allocate resources to apps that are nary longer successful use. Uninstalling specified APKs will lead to amended assets guidance and thus, a faster phone. You tin spell to Settings > Storage > Apps to spot nan database of installed apps and uninstall nan ones you don't request anymore. On nan app screen, you tin besides long-press connected specified forgotten apps and spell to App Info > Uninstall.

2. Clear much storage

Old Android phones thin to cod a batch of junk, whether it beryllium done files aliases long-forgotten photos of schoolhouse notes. After deleting unused apps, you should purpose to clear abstraction by going done nan files and photos saved connected your Android phone. 

Also: How to clear your Android telephone cache (and why it's nan easiest measurement to velocity it up)

You tin spell to your phone's File app to cheque what's saved. The Downloads files often houses nan astir junk from long-forgotten PDF files, photos, etc. There are 2 much spaces you should cheque to clear nan storage.

  • Offload photos from your telephone and prevention them to an outer thrust aliases nan cloud. This helps create a backup of your memories and clear abstraction connected your aged Android phone.
  • Clear nan app cache. For nan unaware, cache is bits of information that an app saves truthful it is quicker to run nan adjacent clip you unfastened it. I urge clearing nan cache for less-used apps pinch nary saved login information. You tin spell to Settings > Storage > App > Clear Cache to prevention much space.

3. Check for updates

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Make judge your Android telephone is up to day connected nan OS front. Keeping it up to day will make it snappier and instal nan latest information protocols. You tin spell to Settings > General > System Update to cheque and instal nan latest disposable package version. 

Also: I changed 12 settings connected my Android telephone to instantly widen nan artillery life

Once you person removed nan uninstalled apps and updated your aged Android telephone to nan latest OS version, you should spell to nan Google Play Store and update nan remaining apps. It is important to usage nan latest disposable versions of these apps to person entree to nan latest features, amended performance, and improved security.

4. Bonus: Adjust nan animation speed

Accessing Developer options connected an Android device
June Wan/ZDNET

You tin alteration aliases disable a fewer settings to make your telephone consciousness faster, including Developer options to alteration nan animation speed. This is somewhat much analyzable than nan remainder of nan settings mentioned above, but it tin make your telephone consciousness importantly faster. 

You request to alteration Developer options by going to Settings > About telephone > Tap connected Software accusation > and past pat your Build number 7 times. This should alteration nan Developer options, truthful you tin now entree different animation standard settings.

Now, spell to nan Drawing conception wrong Developer options and scroll down until you find nan Window animation scale. Tap connected it and group nan animation to 0.5x, truthful apps and model pop-ups tally faster.

Also: Android telephone emotion slow? How I changed 1 mounting to instantly double nan speed

You tin besides set nan Transition animation standard to minimize nan velocity of moving betwixt location surface panels and wrong apps. Plus, minimize nan Animator long standard to make opening and closing apps, unlocking nan phone, and different wide UI animations snappier.

Changing these settings will springiness your aged Android telephone a caller life. Once adjusted, it should consciousness faster, pinch added zip successful day-to-day tasks. If you want to springiness it a refresh, I urge messing astir pinch your location screen, changing nan wallpaper, and adjusting much settings to thief it past longer. 

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