Why Android starts to slow down over time and how to deal with it

Have you noticed that fresh Android, right out of the box or after flashing, just flies? But some time passes, and not a trace remains of the former speed. The system interface becomes thoughtful, the launch of programs slows down, and even what should not slow down in principle, manages to slow down. Why is this happening and how to deal with it? Let's figure it out.

Operating system updates are not compatible with your old smartphone

Each device comes on sale with the current version of the operating system that most closely matches the characteristics of this gadget. If after a while the manufacturer released an OS update for your smartphone or tablet, then you will undoubtedly acquire new functions, but it is far from the fact that the device will work as quickly. When a new version of Android is installed on an old smartphone, the brakes are almost inevitable.

How to fix it

You have to make your own choice between functionality and speed. If your device is not too powerful, then it makes sense to abandon the new versions of the OS. However, keep in mind that the older the version of Android on your smartphone gets, the fewer applications will be compatible with it.

Sometimes this problem can be solved by switching to alternative, lightweight firmware - for example,. But the best, and often the only option, is to buy a new smartphone. Especially if you are still the proud owner of a gadget with Android 2.3 or 4.2 on board.

Newer versions of apps are not compatible with old smartphones

Developers are constantly focusing on new devices and optimizing their programs for their capabilities. Many applications run slower after updates than before, take up more space and consume more system resources.

The majority of developers do not take into account the needs of users sitting on the old hardware at all. For example, mobile Chrome - now it takes up 200 MB in the smartphone's memory, not counting the program data and the cache. For smartphone applications, say, 2014, such gluttony seems inconceivable.

How to fix it

You can prevent the application from updating - use the old version. But this can lead to the fact that the old browser will be incompatible with the new web pages or the old clients of cloud storage will not be able to log in. So this is a dubious decision.

Another option is to use special, lightweight versions of applications that are available in many popular programs. For example, Facebook Lite instead of a full-fledged Facebook client, Skype Lite instead of heavyweight Skype, Opera Mini instead of gluttonous Chrome, and so on.

Background processes take up too much memory

You have installed three dozen programs after purchasing the device and are not going to stop? Think that if the application is not active, then it does not consume system resources?

This is not true. Many installed programs are automatically loaded at system startup, wasting CPU resources and taking up memory on your device. Separately, we must remember the various live wallpapers and desktop widgets, most of which do absolutely nothing useful, but at the same time load the system.

How to fix it

Disable live wallpapers, widgets and other things you don't really need. Remove programs you are not using. Take a look at the list of background apps and stop those you don't need. This can be done manually or using Greenify. This application shows which programs are the most loaded on your smartphone and allows you to monitor their background activity. Greenify can run on rooted or non-rooted devices.

There is not enough free space on the smartphone

The built-in drives of your gadget work in such a way that when they are almost full, their performance can be significantly reduced. This is due to the methods by which information was recorded on the internal memory of the device.

Therefore, for the system to work quickly, it is important that at least 25% of the internal memory remains free. This will not only help maintain performance, but will also reduce wear and tear on the built-in media.

How to fix it

If your smartphone is capable of accepting an SD card, try to move as much data as possible to it from the internal memory. Save movies, music, podcasts, pictures and other content to external storage. Move application data there, if possible.

And such a thing as photographs is generally better stored in the cloud - especially if there are a lot of them. Cache files also take up a lot of space sometimes - clear them from time to time.

Smartphones that do not support SD cards usually have an impressive amount of memory of their own. But it could still end. Therefore, periodically free up space on your device and make sure that some of the memory is not full.

Another option is to do a hard reset of the smartphone, having previously taken care of the backups. Then install on the device only those applications that you really need.

Unfortunately, smartphones sooner or later start to slow down, and they become obsolete much faster than computers. You can try to fight this with the help of these methods, put up with using the gadget solely as a "dialer" and a player, or finally buy a new smartphone - the choice is yours.