Ways to keep your smartphone running smoothly
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When you buy a new smartphone, it often runs quickly for a few months, and then seems to slow down inexplicably. Whether it’s an iPhone or an Android phone read on for easy ways to speed up your phone and keep it everything running smoothly.
Keep your phone software updated
The latest version of your phone’s operating system, whether iOS or Android, often contains updates and bug fixes to make your phone run more smoothly and more quickly. On an Android smartphone or an iPhone, you can check for updates via the Settings app. While you’re at it, also make sure that you’re keeping up with updates for the apps installed on your phone.
Uninstall apps that you don’t need anymore
Almost everyone has installed some apps that have outlived their utility — maybe a camera app that you never could get the hang of, or a game that just wasn’t as entertaining as you’d anticipated. Make sure that you uninstall the ones you don’t need. Unnecessary apps use up storage, and even system resources if they’re occasionally running tasks in the background, so periodically evaluate the apps you have on your device and get rid of the ones that aren’t useful to you anymore. For apps that come preloaded on your Android phone and can’t be deleted, disable them to keep them from using resources.
Cut down on background tasks
In both iOS and Android, you can take steps to make sure that the apps you decide to keep aren’t negatively impacting the performance of your phone. On Android, consider reducing the frequency with which apps like your favorite mail app, or social media apps like Facebook, connect to your account and load new updates. In iOS, be mindful of which apps have Background App Refresh enabled, and consider reducing that number to decrease the resources being used in the background. Additionally, turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you’re not using them.
Clean up your home screen
Android’s many home screen options — and widget support — make it easy to have everything you need within easy reach. But if you get carried away, a cluttered home screen can impact how quickly your phone runs. Get rid of unnecessary icons (a task you likely completed if you got rid of apps you don’t use anymore) and only keep the widgets that are really useful for you. The same goes for iOS: clean up that home screen and don’t keep widgets that will eat up lots of unnecessary resources if you don’t ever actually look at them.