10:01 14-12-2025

Speed up your smartphone: storage fixes and pro tips

Generated by DALL·E

Is your phone slowing down? Learn how to free up storage, clear problem caches, limit background apps, and use built‑in tools to speed up Android or iPhone.

Over time, any smartphone starts to feel slower. Apps don’t spring open as quickly, and storage clogs up with files you no longer need. The good news: you can fix most of this without deep tech skills—tidying up storage and adjusting a couple of system settings is usually enough. Below is a roundup of tips shared by manufacturers and specialist outlets.

Free up storage: the best place to start

A stuffed storage is the most common reason a phone drags. When free space runs low, the system has a harder time handling data, and that shows in everyday speed. So begin by checking how much space is used and remove what you don’t need.

Remove unused apps

Open storage settings and sort apps by size. Many programs accumulate temporary data and quietly grow. If you hardly open an app, the simplest fix is to delete it. On iPhone, you can offload an app—the system removes the app itself but keeps its data so you can restore it with a tap later. Android offers a similar app archiving option in Google Play.

Move photos and videos

Photos and especially videos are the heaviest files. Move them to the cloud, a computer, or—if your device supports it—a memory card. This frees up a noticeable chunk of space and helps the gallery feel less sluggish.

Clear Downloads and messenger media

The Downloads folder often hides old documents, images, and archives you’ve forgotten about. Messaging apps such as Telegram also stash a lot of media. Their settings usually include storage controls where you can delete large files or clear cache.

Temporary files: when it makes sense to clear cache

Cache helps apps run faster, but over time it can balloon or cause glitches. On Android, you can clear cache in each app’s settings. Browsers let you remove cache and history as well. On iPhone, if an app misbehaves, reinstalling it is often the practical route—there’s rarely a separate cache button.

Experts note that constant cache purging isn’t necessary. If an app works normally, you can leave its cache alone.

Tame background activity

Apps that stay active in the background load the processor and memory. On Android, you can limit their behavior in battery and app settings. On iPhone, Background App Refresh lets you disable background processes for apps you don’t consider essential.

Sometimes a simple reboot helps by closing stuck processes and clearing temporary data.

Widgets, animations, and cleaners

Extra widgets on the home screen update in real time, so removing the ones you don’t need can make the interface feel snappier. On older devices, it also makes sense to turn off animations—on Android in Developer Options, and on iOS in Accessibility.

As for one‑tap “boosters,” many expert sources warn that such apps can interfere with normal system behavior. Android manages memory on its own, and aggressive optimizers may only make things worse. Manufacturers recommend sticking to the built‑in tools.

Built‑in tools show what’s taking up space

Both Android and iOS provide storage analytics that highlight which files and apps use the most space. On iPhone, the system suggests deleting large attachments, offloading rarely used apps, or optimizing your media library in iCloud. On Android, you can run the built‑in cleanup to remove temporary data and surface large documents.

When nothing else works

If your smartphone still feels slow, a factory reset can help. It’s a drastic step, but it does clear out everything unnecessary. Back up your photos, documents, and chats beforehand so you don’t lose anything important.

Remember that overall speed also depends on the device’s hardware. If the phone is old or short on RAM, improvements may be modest.