Why is my phone so slow? How to speed up your iPhone, Android

⚡ Fast fix

• Storage check—If your phone is almost full, it’ll start acting like it ran a marathon in flip-flops.
• Too many apps open?—Background apps eat up memory and battery even when you forgot they existed.
• Clear the cache—Temporary files pile up over time and can make apps lag or crash.
• Battery health matters—An aging battery can quietly slow your phone down to protect the hardware.

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If your Samsung Galaxy® is moving at the speed of molasses, your Google Pixel® feels stuck in a freeze loop, or your iPhone® takes forever just to open your messages, you aren't alone. It’s normal for older phones to get a little sluggish over time. Usually, this isn't because the phone itself is broken, but because modern app updates require more storage and processing muscle than they used to.

Fortunately, there is hope. At Asurion, our experts have the know-how to troubleshoot and repair devices fast. Here is our guide on why your phone is running slow and how to give it a major speed boost.

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What is slowing down my phone?

If you've noticed your phone running slower lately, there are a few common phone repair issues that may be behind the speed decrease:

• Not enough storage space on the device
• Too many open apps or programs
• Poor battery health
• Running an older operating system
• Spotty internet connection
• Phone is overheating

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How to speed up an iPhone

If your iPhone seems to be lagging behind your thumbs, give these standard fixes a shot:

1. Close out frozen applications

If a background application gets stuck in an internal code loop, it will aggressively hog your device's resources.

• On iPhones with Face ID: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and pause in the middle for a brief second to open the App Switcher.
• On iPhones with a Home button: Double-click the Home button.
• Flick the card preview of the misbehaving app straight up and off the screen to shut it down completely.

2. Restart the device

A simple system reboot remains the undisputed king of troubleshooting. Powering your iPhone completely down flushes out stray memory leaks, clears temporary cache lines, and restarts frozen background system processes. Aim to restart your device at least once a week.

3. Clear your storage space

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Review the graph to see what is consuming your space. If you are nearly maxed out, select Offload Unused Apps to clear up the app data footprints while saving your core documents, or clear out your photo library's Recently Deleted bin. If storage is low, check out our tips for how to free up storage space on your phone.

4. Verify your battery health

Apple intentionally limits (throttles) processing speeds on iPhones with severely degraded batteries to prevent the phone from abruptly crashing when opening a demanding task. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. If your Maximum Capacity is under 80%, a quick battery replacement will instantly restore your phone's original out-of-the-box speeds.

5. Look for damage

If the phone has physical or liquid damage, it may not work properly. Here's how you can tell if your phone has water damage.

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How to speed up a slow Android phone

If your Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy device is hitching or lagging, use these four optimization methods:

1. Clear out an app's cache

If a specific app (like a web browser or social media feed) is lagging or crashing continuously, clearing its local layout cache can solve the problem instantly.

• On a Samsung Galaxy: Tap Settings > Apps. Tap an app that feels slow, then tap Storage > Clear cache.
• On a Google Pixel: Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps. Select your slow application, then tap Storage & cache > Clear cache.

2. Restrict heavy background apps

While modern Android versions manage resource allocation well, poorly optimized third-party apps can run quietly in the background, draining processing power. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage. Review the list for any app consuming high power when you aren't using it. Tap it and switch its profile configuration setting to Restricted.

3. Check for system software updates

Software updates contain critical code efficiency upgrades and bug patches.

• On a Samsung Galaxy: Tap Settings > Software update > Download and install.
• On a Google Pixel: Tap Settings > System > Software update > System update > Check for update.

4. Perform a system reset as a last resort

If your phone is completely bricked by lag and nothing else helps, a clean format will clear out all buried digital clutter. Go to your settings menu, search for Reset options, and choose Erase all data (factory reset).

⚠️ Crucial warning: A factory reset completely wipes every photo, account, and text message from your local storage. Make sure you back up your phone beforehand.

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FAQ

Why is my phone suddenly so slow?

Usually, it’s storage, background apps, or outdated software piling up behind the scenes. Phones slow down over time a lot like laptops do—just with more doomscrolling involved.

Does low storage make a phone slower?

Absolutely. When your iPhone or Android is nearly full, it has less room to handle updates, apps, and everyday tasks smoothly. A little cleanup can make a surprisingly big difference.

Why does my phone lag more after an update?

New software updates are often designed for newer hardware too. Older phones can start feeling sluggish afterward, especially if storage or battery health was already struggling.

Can restarting your phone actually make it faster?

Yep. Restarting clears temporary files and background processes that may be slowing things down. It’s the tech version of “have you tried turning it off and back on again?”