How to Speed Up an Android Phone Without Cleaner Apps

Every step below follows Google’s Android Help and Samsung’s US support pages as of October 2026. Menu names vary by phone maker, model, and Android version, so look for the closest match on your phone. Google suggests restarting after each step to see whether it helped.

Why is my Android phone slow?

Most slowdowns come from a short list of causes, and you can check all of them without installing anything:

• Low storage. Google says your phone can start having issues when less than 10% of storage is free.
• Pending updates. Both Google and Samsung list system and app updates as early fixes.
• One misbehaving app. A single app can drag the whole phone down. Safe mode helps you find it.
• Battery-saving settings left on. Power saving and Samsung’s Light performance profile trade speed for battery life.
• A slow connection. If only apps that load online content feel slow, Google suggests checking your network first.

Do cleaner and booster apps actually speed up Android?

No, and we don’t recommend any of them. Here is why they don’t help much:

• Android already does this. Google says Android optimizes apps you haven’t used for a long time by deleting temporary files and stopping them from running in the background.
• Samsung already does this. Samsung’s Device care clears memory, deletes unnecessary files, scans for malware, and closes background apps from one button.
• Cache comes back. Google says clearing cached data is a short-term fix, because cached data builds up again over time.
• They add one more app. Installing a booster means another app that can run in the background and ask for permissions, which is the opposite of what a slow phone needs.

Which quick fixes should you try first?

Restart the phone

1. On most phones, press the power button for about 30 seconds, or until the phone restarts. You may need to tap Restart on screen.
2. On a Galaxy, you can also swipe down from the top with two fingers to open Quick settings, tap the Power icon, then tap Restart twice.

Samsung calls a reboot a more thorough way to clean the phone’s memory than closing apps.

Install system updates

1. On most Android phones, open Settings > System > Software update and follow the steps.
2. On a Galaxy, open Settings > Software update (or System updates) and tap Download and install. The label can differ by carrier.

Samsung notes you can’t use the phone during the install, including for emergency calls, so start it when you can spare the time.

Update your apps

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap your profile icon at the top right.
3. Tap Manage apps & devices.
4. Under “Updates available,” update all apps or a specific app.

How much free storage does your phone need?

Aim for at least 10% free, the point at which Google says problems can start. To check, open Settings > Storage. On a Galaxy, open Settings > Device care > Storage instead.

The quickest wins are usually old videos, downloads, and photos that are already backed up. Our full guide on how to free up storage on Android walks through each category.

Should you uninstall or disable apps you don’t use?

Yes. Fewer apps means fewer things running in the background and less storage used. If you remove an app you paid for, Google says you can reinstall it later without buying it again.

1. Open the Google Play Store app and tap your profile icon.
2. Tap Manage apps & devices > Manage.
3. Select the app you want to remove, then tap Uninstall.

On a Galaxy, you can also touch and hold an app on the Apps screen and tap Uninstall. For preloaded apps that can’t be removed, Samsung says you can tap Disable instead, though not every preloaded app can be disabled.

Android also has an Unused apps list under Settings > Apps, which shows apps the system has already paused because you haven’t opened them in a long time.

How do you use Device care on a Samsung Galaxy?

Device care is Samsung’s built-in maintenance screen. It was previously called Device maintenance. Open Settings > Device care and try these in order:

1. Tap Optimize now, then Done. Samsung says this option doesn’t appear when Device care rates the phone in Great condition.
2. Tap Memory > Clean now to stop background apps. Add apps you want to keep running under Excluded apps.
3. Tap Performance profile and check it is on Standard. Samsung says Light mode prioritizes battery life over processing speed.
4. Tap Battery and check that Power saving isn’t on when you don’t need it. One of its options limits CPU speed to 70%.
5. Tap Auto optimization > Auto restart and turn on Restart when needed, or set a weekly restart time.

Device care also lists RAM Plus, which uses some storage as up to 8GB of virtual memory. Samsung says it moves inactive apps to virtual memory so more RAM is free for the apps you are using.

What is the difference between clearing cache and clearing data?

Both live in the same place, but they do very different things.

On a Galaxy, open Settings > Apps, pick the app, tap Storage, then tap Clear cache or Clear data. Samsung says clearing data resets the app to its default settings, so note your account details before you do it. Samsung also says the only way to clear the cache of every app at once is a factory reset, which is why there is no point clearing cache across the board.

Should you change animation speed in Developer options?

This is optional. Lower animation scales make screen transitions play faster, so the phone feels snappier, but apps don’t actually run faster. Developer options is a screen meant for app developers, so change only the settings below and leave everything else alone.

1. Open Settings > About phone and find Build number. On a Galaxy, it is under Settings > About phone > Software information > Build number.
2. Tap Build number seven times until you see “You are now a developer!”
3. Go back and look for Developer options near the bottom of Settings. Google notes it may be in a different place or have a different name on some phones.
4. Set Window animation scale and Transition animation scale to a lower value. Google’s developer documentation says a lower scale gives a faster speed.

To undo it, set both scales back to 1x.

Can lighter apps and battery settings help?

Some popular services publish lighter versions of their apps on Google Play, often with “Lite” or “Go” in the name. They tend to use less storage, which helps on phones with little free space. Check the developer name before you install one so you get the official app.

Battery features can work against speed. Google says Battery Saver limits or turns off background activity, and that some features and apps may be delayed while it is on. Turn it on when you need the battery to last, and off when you want full performance. Adaptive battery, which Google lists among its battery settings, is about battery life rather than speed, so you can leave it on.

Could malware be slowing your phone down?

It is possible, especially if the slowdown started after installing an app from outside Google Play. Google Play Protect checks apps when you install them and also scans your phone periodically.

1. Open the Google Play Store app and tap your profile icon.
2. Tap Play Protect, then open its settings.
3. Make sure Scan apps with Play Protect is on. Google recommends always keeping it on.

To test whether a downloaded app is the cause, Google suggests restarting in safe mode, which temporarily turns off all downloaded apps. If the phone is fast in safe mode, restart normally and remove recent apps one at a time. For more warning signs, see how to tell if your phone is hacked.

When should you factory reset a slow phone?

Only after everything above has failed. Google says a reset removes all data from the phone and uninstalls every app and its data, though anything stored in your Google Account can be restored.

1. Back up your phone and check that the backup finished.
2. Make sure you know the Google Account email and password on the phone, plus your screen lock PIN. Google says to wait 24 hours if you recently reset your Google Account password.
3. Charge the phone to at least 70% and connect to Wi-Fi. Google says a reset can take up to an hour.
4. Run the reset from Settings, using your phone maker’s instructions.

Reinstall apps slowly after the reset. Google warns that if a downloaded app caused the problem and you reinstall it, the problem could come back. Our guide to setting up a new Android phone covers restoring your backup.

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