How to Speed Up a Lagging Phone Without Resetting (2025 Full Guide)

Posted by

 

Illustration of a smartphone speeding up with performance icons and system optimization symbols

Does your phone freeze, lag, or take forever to open apps—even though you haven’t installed anything heavy?

The good news:
You don’t need to reset your phone to make it fast again.

In this guide, you’ll learn proven 2025 methods used by technicians to speed up ANY Android phone:

  • Samsung

  • Tecno & Infinix

  • Xiaomi

  • Oppo & Vivo

  • Huawei

  • Nokia

  • Realme

These fixes DO NOT delete your data.

 Why Phones Start Lagging Over Time (Real 2025 Causes)

Before fixing the lag, you need to understand why it happens:

1. Too many background apps running

Some apps keep running even after you close them.

(We covered this in:
How to Stop Background Apps From Secretly Using Data & Battery) 

2. Low RAM due to system processes

Your system uses RAM for animations, widgets, and live wallpapers.

3. Hidden junk files

Apps create cache, logs, old update files, and temporary data.

4. Old or heavy software updates

Some updates slow down older devices.

(I explained similar behavior in:
Why Your Phone Is Slower After Every Software Update) 

5. Weak storage health

When storage becomes slow, the whole phone becomes slow too.

 Fix 1: Disable Animations (Instant Speed Boost)

Disabling animations gives your phone a 50–70% speed increase when opening apps or scrolling.

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings → About Phone

  2. Tap Build Number 7 times → Enable Developer Options

  3. Go back → Developer Options

  4. Set these to 0.5x or Off:

    • Window animation scale

    • Transition animation scale

    • Animator duration scale

This is one of the best lag-fix tricks.

 Fix 2: Clear Hidden App Cache (Not Data)

Cache is safe to clear — it does NOT delete your files.

Go to:

Settings → Apps → (Choose app) → Storage → Clear Cache

Apps you SHOULD clear regularly:

  • TikTok

  • Instagram

  • Facebook

  • Snapchat

  • Chrome / Opera

  • YouTube

  • Messenger

This method also solves issues discussed in:
Why Apps Take Too Long to Open & How to Fix It

 Fix 3: Disable Auto-Start & Background Refresh

Apps that auto-start slow down boot time and overall responsiveness.

Go to:

Settings → Apps → Auto Start / Launch Manager

Turn OFF for:

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • TikTok

  • Snapchat

  • Messenger

  • Any app you rarely use

This tip connects with a similar behavior explained in:
Touchscreen Freezes Only During Calls? Here’s Why
 (some background apps interfere with the dialer).

 Fix 4: Free Up RAM Without Using Any Cleaner App

Cleaner apps make your phone WORSE.
Instead, do this:

Method A — Disable Notification Listeners

Apps like Truecaller, Messenger, and Facebook use RAM to scan notifications.

Go to:
Settings → Notifications → Special Access → Notification Access
Turn off unnecessary apps.

Method B — Limit “Picture-in-Picture” Apps

Go to:
Settings → Apps → Special Access → Picture-in-picture
Disable apps that don’t need it.

 Fix 5: Remove Heavy Widgets & Live Wallpapers

Widgets refresh in the background, causing lag.

Remove:

  • Weather widgets

  • News widgets

  • Social media widgets

  • Battery/CPU widgets

And avoid live wallpapers if your phone has low RAM.

 Fix 6: Update or Downgrade Certain Apps

Some apps get heavy after updates.

If your phone lags:

  1. Open Play Store

  2. Search the app

  3. Tap Uninstall Updates (for system apps)

This trick solves bugs similar to those in:
How to Fix Apps That Crash After Latest Update

 Fix 7: Free Storage (The Hidden Lag Trigger)

Your phone slows down when storage is below 15% free space.

Do this:

  • Delete duplicate photos

  • Clear WhatsApp media (especially status and stickers)

  • Remove old videos

  • Move files to SD card

Related reading:
Why Your Storage Is Full Even After Deleting Files

 Fix 8: Update System WebView & Chrome

WebView controls how apps load content.
If outdated, apps lag and freeze.

Go to Play Store → Update:

  • Android System WebView

  • Google Chrome

You’ll see instant speed improvement.

 Fix 9: Restart the Phone Once Every 3–4 Days

Restarting clears RAM, stops hidden processes, and refreshes the system.

DO NOT force restart—just normal restart.

When You Still Should Consider a Reset

Only consider resetting if:

  • Apps keep freezing

  • Storage is corrupted

  • System apps crash repeatedly

  • Malware cannot be removed

But in 90% of cases, the above fixes will speed up your phone without wiping data.

Comments

Post a Comment