Having a slow phone can be unbelievably frustrating. When we’ve become accustomed to lightning quick devices that sit in our pockets ready to perform tasks at the swipe of a finger, it can feel like losing a limb when they start to slow down.
The good news is that this process is entirely avoidable, and may just be a matter of staying clear of the wrong apps.
Avast recently released its quarterly App Performance Report, complete with a list of the Android apps that are most likely to drain your device and slow things down.
The full report is available here, and contains such familiar names as Google Docs and Samsung Media Hub.
While these apps have a tendency to hog data, suck the life from your battery, and fill up your hard drive, many of them are pretty useful and hard to say goodbye to.
Fortunately, there are ways to speed up your Android device and still hold on to your favorite apps. Let’s take a look at a few of them:
1. Update your operating system and apps
An outdated OS will always result in a slower and more clunky device. By updating your operating system, you’re enabling faster software and newer versions of apps.
Android are constantly working on how to make their software better and more efficient, so each new operating system version brings a host of new features that make the user experience better. Ignore these updates at your peril.
If you just can’t wait until the next OS is released, it is of course possible to update apps yourself. App developers are constantly tweaking and improving their software, so it’s important to stay up to date with progress and ensure that you’re getting the slickest apps possible.
2. Root your device
OK, so this one is aimed at those with some experience in the world of tech. The process of ‘rooting’ an android device is a little like jailbreaking it. It gives the user the ability to customise their device more deeply than they ordinarily would.
This can involve removing pre-installed apps and firmware, installing new and unapproved software, and tinkering with your phone more seriously.
There are a few potential drawbacks – including the possibility of having your warranty revoked or damaging the phone – but these are pretty rare. If you know what you’re doing, the process can be straightforward, but it’s probably not one for the tech newbies out there.
For those who do choose to go down this path, you can really speed up performance by removing draining firmware and streamlining the device.
3. Clear out unused media and apps
As we use our phones over time, it’s normal for media to accumulate, clogging up storage space with old and outdated photos, music, and apps.
It’s just like owning a house, only instead of old records and too-small outfits filling up your wardrobes, its digital clutter.
Time for a spring clean!
Do you really need those thirty selfies you accidentally took while drunk that time? Or the weather app you downloaded which turned out to be useless? SURELY you don’t need that new Coldplay album…
Media can take up a surprising amount of disk space, and when your storage space reaches its limit, you’ll start to feel the effects in a slower and less reliable phone.
Take some time now and then to delete old photos, videos, emails, messages and apps – your CPU will thank you.
4. Avoid syncing
Syncing is a process through which Android phones generate notifications from other Google servers such as Gmail, so you’re always connected to other services for maximum efficiency.
It’s the same process that allows you to receive Facebook notifications directly to your phone screen, and lots of other services too.
While it can make life easier, syncing is a massive drain on your digital resources, and can really affect the performance of your device over time.
Ask yourself if the ease of information is worth the long-term drainage.
5. Stay secure
Nothing slows a phone down like being infected with a massive virus. Even malware that doesn’t directly damage the phone, such as DDoS software can take up lots of storage space and be an enormous drain.
Fortunately, keeping your Android device secure isn’t too complicated. In addition to taking some simple steps, you can also rely on security software to watch your back.
Avast recently received a perfect score in a mobile security test, making it the obvious choice for anyone concerned about their phone security.
Mobile devices are simpler beasts than computers, and are easier to keep in shape. Of course, if your phone is ancient, there may be nothing you can do. Time makes fools of us all, and occasionally the wisest choice may be to simply invest in a newer model.
In most cases, however, just follow the above tips and you should have no trouble at all.
