If you have had your smartphone for a while, you might be finding that it’s no longer as fast and responsive as it was when you first got it. The good news is that cleaning up some unwanted apps and data and making a few simple tweaks can often put the zip back into your trusty Android device.
Alcatel offers a few suggestions about how you can improve the speed of an Android smartphone that is not as quick as it used to be:
1. Have you switched it off and on again?
Sometimes, simply powering the device down and switching it on again can be enough to pep up performance!
2. Delete unneeded apps and data
One of the most common reasons for performance problems with an older smartphone is that you have used up most of its storage space. This is easily remedied by removing the apps you are no longer using and the data that you don’t need.
To fix the problem:
· Go to settings, look for the app manager and uninstall apps you no longer require.
· Look at your photo and music libraries and check if there is media you are happy to delete. You could also back your files up to the cloud or a PC so that you can remove them from your smartphone.
· Check the downloads folder – you may have many unneeded files there wasting storage space.
3. Turn off widgets and animations
If you’re running a bunch of widgets and are experiencing poor smartphone performance, disable the ones you are not using or even all of them if your device is particularly slow. The same goes for animations – they might look great, but they can slow down an older smartphone.
To remove widgets: Navigate to the widget and give it a long press. Then drag the widget to remove.
To switch off animations:
· Go to settings, tap ‘about phone’, then tap on ‘build number’ several times to enable developer mode,
· Navigate to settings – developer options and look for ‘window animation scale’.
· Tap on animation options to switch them off.
4. Flush your cache
After a while, your phone’s cache might become crammed with data and files that drag down performance. Go to settings, tap storage and then cached data and then clear the cache.
5. Close apps you are not using
If you have several apps running in the background, close the ones you don’t need. You can look at the running apps list to see which apps you are running and the memory they are consuming.
6. Update your software
Do not ignore that notification that pops up on your screen, instructing you to install the latest software version available. Updating your software will enhance your phone’s functionality and security.
