7 tips to supercharge your old smartphone's performance

Like computers, your smartphone can get bogged down with layers of software, apps, files and processes after you've been using it for a while, rendering it slower and more frustrating to use – or, even worse, completely unusable. 
So, whether you’re looking to repurpose your old phone for a friend or relative to use, turn it into a reliable backup handset or breathe new life into it so it's less irritating to use, we've got seven tips to help you get it running like new again.

1. Update your system software

Updating to the latest version of Android or iOS can give your smartphone its best chance of living out the rest of its days optimized for the newest apps, games and services available.

Why?

When a phone launches, it ships with a specific version of the operating system – Android 9 Pie or iOS 12 for instance. Every year, a major new version of the OS is announced which will be made available to older devices.

2. Update your apps

Keeping their apps up to date enables app developers to fine-tune the performance of their software for different smartphones.

Why?

Updates are frequently pushed out to fix bugs and add new features, keeping them optimized for all the devices they run on – or at least that’s the theory.

This is especially important for users of Android phones, as Android apps have to work with handsets from many different manufacturers, and with different screen sizes and resolutions, meaning there’s potentially greater scope for incompatibility.

3. Turn off auto-update when possible

This probably sounds counterintuitive after we spent the last two tips harping on about updates being so important – but if your phone isn’t packing storage or power to spare, then updating apps and software is something you’ll likely want to manage yourself.

Why?

The act of updating an application requires a fair bit of processing power. Your phone has to download and unpack a piece of software, verify everything to make sure it checks out, install it and create a shortcut. 

4. Clear your browser cache

After a year or two with a phone, you’ll be amazed at how much space old documents, cached pictures and unused apps can take up, and this can result in anything from impaired performance to low-storage alerts.

Why?

Fun fact: when you browse the web, your phone can save versions of every picture it displays without you even knowing about it, not to mention all your browsing data. 

This might sound scary, but it’s for your benefit – not having to re-download content saves you both time and mobile data when you revisit a site.

5. Uninstall apps

Apps that haven’t been used for a few weeks should be uninstalled if you’re using old hardware. 

Why?

Not only do they take up space and result in low storage, which can slow your phone down, but they can also generate background processes – and when layered on top of one another, these processes put a huge amount of strain on your phone’s last-gen processing power, and could be at the heart of any stutters you experience.

6. Install light versions of your favorite apps (Android) or use web apps

Software providers such as Facebook, Line and Microsoft create streamlined versions of frequently installed apps so that users who have older or lower-capacity devices can still enjoy their software – what many people don’t know is that many of these are simply repackaged versions of their mobile-optimized websites.

Why?

Apps are like ever-inflating balloons, so while they may only take up a few MB when they're first installed, the more you use them the bigger they get.

Not only are light – or ‘lite’ – versions of these apps smaller, they also hold onto less high-capacity content, ‘inflating’ more slowly than their full-fat alternatives.

7. Factory reset

If all else fails and your phone is still crawling along at a snail’s pace, a factory reset will definitely speed things up.

Why?

Whatever your phone model or make, a year or two of use will weigh down any device with hidden files, app data and usage quirks. A reset wipes everything clean. 

Be warned though: factory-resetting your phone will erase all your apps, photos and data. The only files that will be safe are those stored in the cloud or on a memory card – and some resets even wipe memory cards if you check the right – or wrong – box.