How to Speed Up a Slow Android Phone or Tablet

To speed up a slow Android phone or tablet, restart it, install the latest Android and app updates, and keep at least 10% of its storage free. If it is still slow, start it in safe mode to find a misbehaving app, and only factory reset it as a last resort.

The steps follow Google's own troubleshooting order for slow devices and are written for Android 8.0 and later. Menu names differ between brands, so look for the closest match on your device.

How do I speed up a slow Android phone, step by step?

Work through these in order and test your phone after each one.

1. Restart the phone. A restart closes everything that has piled up in the background. If the phone is frozen, Google's speed-up guide says to hold the power button for about 30 seconds on most phones until it restarts. On Pixel 6 and later, Google's Pixel guide says to hold the power and volume up buttons for a few seconds, then tap Restart.
2. Install Android updates. Open Settings, then System, then Software update, and follow the steps. If your phone has no System menu, search Settings for "update", since the path varies by brand.
3. Free up storage. Check your storage in Settings. Google warns that a phone can start having problems when less than 10% of its storage is free.
4. Update your apps. Open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon at the top right, tap Manage apps & devices, and under "Updates available" update all apps.
5. Close apps you are not using. If one app keeps the phone busy, force stop it: open Settings, then Apps, pick the app and tap Force stop. Keep a list of the apps you stop, as Google suggests, to spot a repeat offender.
6. Test in safe mode. Safe mode temporarily turns off every app you downloaded. If the phone is fast in safe mode, one of your apps is the cause. How to enter safe mode differs by brand, so check your manufacturer's support site.
7. Remove recent apps one at a time. Restart normally, uninstall the most recently installed app, restart again and test. Repeat until the slowness goes away, then reinstall the apps that were not the problem.
8. Factory reset as a last resort. This erases everything on the phone, so back it up first (see below).

How do I free up storage space on Android?

Google's free up storage guide recommends these steps:

• Uninstall apps you no longer use. If you paid for an app, you can download it again later without paying twice.
• Clear an app's cache. You can usually do this from the app's page in the Settings app. Clear cache removes temporary files only. Google notes the app may be slower the next time you open it while it rebuilds the cache.
• Be careful with Clear storage. That button permanently deletes all of the app's data, including logins and offline files.
• Delete downloads and old media. Remove files you no longer need, or copy photos and videos to a computer or cloud backup first.

Google's free Files by Google app does the hunting for you. It suggests old photos from chat apps, duplicate files and cached data you can remove, and lets you sort files by size so the biggest ones show up first. It has no ads.

Do RAM cleaner and booster apps help?

Usually not, and you do not need one. Android's developer documentation explains that the system itself decides when to end app processes, based on how much memory is available, so a "RAM booster" has little to add. Google's official advice for a slow phone uses the built-in Settings tools above rather than any third-party cleaner.

What we checked: on 6 November 2026 we opened the Google Play page of Clean Master (com.cleanmaster.mguard), the first cleaner our old version of this guide recommended. Google Play now returns "not found" for it. We have dropped it and the other cache cleaners from this page. Be wary of any app that promises to "boost" your phone. Google's account help lists "your device is very slow" among the signs of malware, so make sure Google Play Protect is turned on in the Play Store.

Should I use Developer options to speed up Android?

We no longer recommend it. Our earlier guide suggested the "Background process limit" setting in Developer options. Developer options is a hidden menu meant for app developers testing their apps, and Google's speed-up guide does not use it.

When should I factory reset my phone?

Only when nothing else has worked. Google's guide explains that a factory data reset removes all data and apps from the phone, along with any bad settings or software causing the problem. Data stored in your Google Account can be restored afterwards, but apps and their data are uninstalled.

1. Back up your phone first. Our guide on backing up and restoring your installed Android apps covers the app side.
2. Charge the phone to at least 70% and connect it to Wi-Fi or mobile data, as Google's factory reset guide recommends. Make sure you know your Google Account password, because you will need it to sign in afterwards.
3. Open Settings, search for Reset, choose the factory data reset option and confirm with your PIN, pattern or password. The exact menu name differs by brand. A reset can take up to an hour.
4. After it restarts, sign in with the same Google Account. Reinstall apps one at a time rather than all at once, since a problem app can bring the slowness back.

If the phone still runs slowly after a reset, Google advises contacting your carrier or the phone's manufacturer.

FAQ

Why is my Android phone so slow all of a sudden?

Common causes are storage that is almost full, an app misbehaving in the background, or a pending software update. Restart the phone, check that at least 10% of storage is free, then test in safe mode.

Does clearing cache speed up Android?

It frees space, which helps if storage is nearly full. It does not make apps faster on its own, and Google notes an app may open more slowly the first time after you clear its cache.

Will a factory reset make my phone faster?

Often, because it removes every app and setting that could be causing the slowdown. It also erases all your data, so back up first and try the other steps before resetting.