Before you think about replacing your phone, follow the steps below in this order. The first ones fix most cases and don’t erase anything.
In this article
1. Restart your phone
It sounds simple, but it closes stuck processes and frees up memory. If you never turn your phone off, do it now and repeat once a week.
2. Free up space
With storage above 85% to 90% full, the system gets slow at everything. See the step-by-step in phone storage full.
3. Update the system and apps
- Android: Settings › System › Software update (Samsung: Settings › Software update). Then Play Store › your profile › Manage apps & device › Update all.
- iPhone: Settings › General › Software Update. Then App Store › your profile › Update All.
After a major update, it’s normal for the phone to be slower for a day or two while it reorganizes its data.
4. Find the culprit app
- Battery: under Settings › Battery (Android and iPhone), see which apps use the most. An app that uses a lot without you using it is usually the one weighing things down.
- Uninstall apps you don’t recognize or don’t use, especially “cleaners”, “boosters”, unknown antivirus apps, and flashlight or wallpaper apps with ads.
- Widgets and live wallpapers also use resources.
5. Check battery health
A worn-out battery makes the phone slow, because the system reduces performance to avoid unexpected shutdowns.
- iPhone: Settings › Battery › Battery Health & Charging. Below 80% maximum capacity, replacing the battery usually brings performance back.
- Android: many models show it under Settings › Battery or in the manufacturer’s support app (Samsung Members, for example).
Replacing the battery at an authorized service provider costs much less than a new phone.
6. Factory reset (last step)
If nothing worked, a reset leaves the phone as it came out of the box.
- Back up everything: photos, WhatsApp (Settings › Chats › Chat backup), contacts and passwords.
- Make sure you know your Google account password or Apple Account password: without it, the phone stays locked after the reset.
- Android: Settings › System › Reset options › Erase all data (factory reset). iPhone: Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Erase All Content and Settings.
- Afterwards, install only the apps you actually use, instead of restoring everything at once.
FAQ
Does closing all open apps make the phone faster?
Not really: the systems manage that on their own, and reopening an app from scratch uses more battery. Only close the app that froze.
When is it worth replacing the phone?
When it no longer gets security updates from the manufacturer, or its RAM is too small for the apps you use. See, for example, which iPhones get iOS 27.
