1. Restart Your Phone
This is the first thing to try, and it works more often than you might expect. When a phone runs for days or weeks without being restarted, apps and background processes pile up in memory and slow everything down. Hold down the power button and choose Restart (not just Sleep or Lock). Give it a full minute to start back up, then see if things feel faster.
2. Free Up Storage Space
When your phone's storage is nearly full, it slows down significantly. Photos, videos, and apps are the biggest culprits.
- On iPhone: Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage to see what is taking up space
- On Android: Go to Settings → Storage to see a breakdown
- Delete apps you no longer use
- Move photos and videos to Google Photos or iCloud and delete them from the phone
- Clear the cache for apps that use a lot of storage (especially browsers and streaming apps)
Tip: Try to keep at least 10–15% of your phone's storage free. If your phone has 64GB of storage, aim to keep at least 6–8GB available.
3. Close Apps Running in the Background
Many apps continue running in the background even after you stop using them, consuming memory and battery.
- On iPhone: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-press the Home button on older models) to see open apps. Swipe each one up to close it.
- On Android: Tap the square Recent Apps button and swipe apps away to close them.
Tip: You do not need to close every app every time — but if your phone feels sluggish, clearing out background apps can help immediately.
4. Update Your Phone's Software
Software updates often include performance improvements and bug fixes that can make your phone feel noticeably faster. On iPhone: go to Settings → General → Software Update. On Android: go to Settings → System → Software Update (the exact path varies by phone brand). If an update is available, install it — make sure your phone is plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi before starting.
5. Update Your Apps
Outdated apps can cause slowdowns and crashes. Open the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android), go to your profile or the Updates section, and install any pending app updates.
6. Check for Apps Using Too Much Battery or Data
Some apps run constantly in the background and drain both battery and performance. On iPhone: go to Settings → Battery to see which apps are using the most power. On Android: go to Settings → Battery → Battery Usage. If an app you rarely use is near the top of the list, consider deleting it or restricting its background activity.
7. Turn Off Visual Effects (Older Phones)
Older phones can struggle with the animated transitions and visual effects that newer operating systems use. Reducing these can make the phone feel more responsive.
- On iPhone: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Motion → Turn on Reduce Motion
- On Android: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Remove Animations or Reduce Animations
When It Might Be Time for a New Phone
If your phone is more than five or six years old and you have tried all of the above, the hardware itself may simply be too old to keep up with current apps and software. Signs that it may be time to upgrade include:
- The phone no longer receives software updates from the manufacturer
- Apps crash frequently even after reinstalling them
- The battery drains within a few hours even with light use
- The phone gets very hot during normal tasks
Tip: Before buying a new phone, call My Neighbor Tech. We can take a look and give you an honest assessment of whether a repair or tune-up would help, or whether an upgrade makes more sense.
Need Help?
If you have tried these steps and your phone is still slow, or if you are not comfortable making these changes on your own, My Neighbor Tech can help. We provide in-home and remote tech support for families and seniors across Baltimore, Howard, Harford, and Carroll Counties.