Android must run faster. Google knows this, smartphone manufacturers know this, and users know this. Mountain View responded with new optimizations in the latest versions of Android, and the newest mobile models keep adding cores and RAM, but only we have the power to prevent its performance from falling apart. With a precise selection of apps, strict control of synchronizations and constant monitoring of battery consumption, all doubts about how to make Android faster will be cleared.
Now, I completely understand users' frustration. New devices are supposed to have left behind the paranoia of optimization and performance. What's the point of having eight cores and 3 GB of RAM in your pocket if we can't use them? The answer comes down to the quality of the experience. You can throw all the cores and gigabytes you want into a smartphone, but if the software environment is a mess, that powder will end up wet. Another critical aspect is that this experience deteriorates over time. Google doesn't flinch when it comes to abandoning an old version of Android, and its optimizations always target new builds. In short, if you've been wondering recently how to make Android faster, the first step is to take control and understand its limits.
Discover how to make Android faster
There are no magic tricks here, nor five-minute solutions. All those apps that 'super-accelerate' your device are pure placebo, and can do more harm than good. So charge your phone battery, take a seat, take the opportunity to clean it a bit (physical care is also important, especially if there are plans for resale), and begin.
Erase all apps!
Also known as "Less is More" or "You really don't need 247 apps on your phone", the first recommendation to make Android faster is to reduce the number of installed applications. It is a bit obvious and irritating at the same time... but it works. Even if the application is official and very popular, chances are you can access the service through its website. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… once they disappear from the device, Android becomes a breeze. You might lose notifications in the process, but are they really that important? Is it really worth sacrificing your smartphone's performance to see the three dots that your favorite YouTuber posted on Twitter at four in the morning?
Annihilate bloatware
In a perfect world, all Android devices have a stock configuration, that is, just as Google publishes it. Unfortunately, that perfect world belongs to science fiction. The phone manufacturer adds its apps, the carrier does the same, and the result is a pile of digital junk that you don't want, will never touch, and also devours your battery. The problem is that removing bloatware is not simple, because both 'agents' (we no longer know what to call them) install most of their apps as system components, denying the user the possibility of direct deletion.
The alternative to rooting and purging with programs like Titanium Backup or System App Remover (something risky if you don't know what you're doing) is to disable apps. Go to Settings - Applications, enter the app and tap the Disable option (also Disable or Turn Off, depending on the Android version). Actually, disabling apps is the safest method, because if you regret it you can go back in seconds. Another method to limit the impact of bloatware on Android 7.0 or higher is to attack background processes. It's an advanced action involving ADB and USB debugging on Android, but the folks at XDA published an excellent tutorial on YouTube.
No more widgets
Some are beautiful, and even convenient on the home screen, but the underlying answer is still no. Widgets were never known for their optimization or moderate resource consumption. Their negative effects on performance and battery life are strong on older versions of Android, and given that the combined use of Nougat (7.x) and Oreo (8.x) doesn't reach 40 percent of the Android ecosystem, removing widgets can benefit a large number of users out there. Personally, I would try to remove all widgets, but I also recognize that in isolated cases they keep a fixed position (Google search bars, for example). Removing those widgets is possible via root, which reminds us of their value once again.
Clear cache data
Cache data helps speed up access and execution of apps... in theory. When we analyze what happens in practice, we discover that the accumulation of unnecessary cache often causes more problems than it solves, consuming space even when we haven't opened the app in a long time, and causing the occasional crash (after all, who hasn't had an app stop working overnight?). The good news is that you don't need external apps to clear cache, unless you use a very old Android build (say, Gingerbread). Go to the Storage section, enter Cached Data, and confirm deletion. The other shortcut is to do it individually per app.
Restart the device
Both Google developers and manufacturers insist this is not necessary, but the reality of Android smartphones contradicts them. Sooner or later, your device will behave like a snail, and one of the first suggestions is restarting. The question is: how often should we do it? In general, once every 48 or 72 hours is enough, and that way we avoid falling into a vicious cycle. Restarting your smartphone several times a day only leads to annoyance, we waste time, and we gain nothing. In more extreme situations (freezes, major errors), it might not be a bad idea to consider a factory reset.
Battery and space
How many times have we talked about battery and space? Personally, I've lost count, but that reminds us how important they are. Regardless of the operating system, the truth is that no device gets along well with a weak battery. However, once we enter Android territory, we find that some apps truly massacre the battery. A visit to the Battery usage section in Settings - Battery will tell you which apps are most aggressive in terms of energy consumption, and from there, you'll have to decide whether you accept the trade-off or delete those apps. That leads us directly to space recovery. Of course, the fault is not exclusive to apps. Between videos, mp3 files, WhatsApp attachments, and browsing history, space can become a luxury item out of nowhere. If you want more information about it, visit our guide.
Well, I think you have enough homework for now. Android performance problems have been documented ad nauseam, and those responsible do everything possible to eliminate them at the root, but as we said above, it still needs help. "How to make Android faster" is not an impossible question to answer. The key is a lot of patience, and a bit of the information you just read. Good luck!
