Smart Phone : My phone's speed is slowing down
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It's not always the age of the device that can cause Samsung phones or tablets to slow down.
It is likely that the phone or tablet will start to lag with a lack of storage space. If your phone or tablet is full of photos, videos, and apps; the device doesn't have a lot of "thinking" room to get things done. Storage space is taken up on your device by the amount and size of apps and games, as well as files downloaded from the internet, and photos and videos taken with the camera. If you let your device get to over 90% of its' capacity, you're likely to see a reduction of speed in the normal day-to-day use of your phone.
There are apps built right into your device to help clear out some storage space and perform other diagnostics of your Samsung phone or tablet. such as the Device Maintenance feature.
You can also check out How to Back Up my data for information on saving all of the data from your device before you start deleting anything to speed up your phone or tablet.
The steps below will cover troubleshooting anything else that could potentially be interfering with the speed of your device. Check the drop downs below for some ideas of how to figure out why your device is running slowly
Using Safe Mode on a Samsung phone or tablet allows you to force the device to run the essential operating system, and disable most 3rd party applications. It's designed as a diagnostic tool to help solve issues with connectivity, battery life, and more. You might use Safe Mode to test whether or not a 3rd party application is causing ads to appear on your device, or maybe something is interfering with incoming and outgoing calls.
For more information and steps on how to action this see My smartphone is on Safe mode
If you have the same problems in Safe Mode, it's possible that the lag is a result of corruption in the operating system. A factory data reset is the best option if you can't get to a Samsung location for further assistance.
If the device is faster in safe mode - we know it's likely to be a 3rd party app that is causing the issue, and we can try removing anything unused and taking up space or potentially malicious.
If you don't see an uninstall option, it is an application required by the operating system and safe to keep. Operating system applications are unlikely to be the cause of slow usage.
It is important to ensure your mobile device is upto date with the latest software as each update improves bug fixes, security patches, compatibility and can help improve performance.
Software update can be done through Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA), Kies or Samsung Smart Switch. - Before upgrading, make sure that your phone has enough memory space.
For more information on how to upgrade the software of your device see Upgrading the Software of my phone
A Factory Data Reset should always be considered as a last resort option because it means removing all of your personal information and any photos or videos saved on your device to reinstall the operating system from scratch. Please make sure to Back up your Samsung Device before a Factory Data Reset. When you're happy that you have everything on your device saved, follow the next steps:
Depending on your device this option will be in:
Settings > Backup & Reset > Factory Data Reset
Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset
Please make sure you have your Google account details available - you may need your gmail email address and password to get back into the device after a reset.
See our page on What is Google FRP? for more information.
You can download the user manual from our Manuals & Downloads page. For all other queries or further technical assistance, please call Samsung Customer Care on 0800 726 786 or Live Chat with our Technical Team online, services are open 24 hours, 7 days.
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