Speed Up Samsung Phone: 15 Proven Methods to Boost Performance
Is your Samsung phone running slower than it used to? You’re not alone. Even the best Galaxy devices can experience performance issues over time as apps accumulate, storage fills up, and background processes multiply. The good news is that you don’t need to factory reset your phone or buy a new device to restore its speed.
This comprehensive guide reveals 15 proven methods to speed up your Samsung phone, from simple one-tap optimizations to advanced developer settings that can dramatically improve responsiveness. Whether you’re using a flagship Galaxy S series or a budget A series model, these techniques will help your phone feel fast and responsive again.
Why Samsung Phones Slow Down Over Time
Understanding why your Samsung phone loses speed helps you prevent future slowdowns. Common reasons include excessive background activity from too many apps running simultaneously, especially on older models lacking sufficient hardware for heavy multitasking. Other factors include accumulated cache files, outdated software, insufficient storage space, and corrupted app data.
The performance degradation isn’t inevitable. Many Samsung phones experience slow performance issues after a few months of use, but simple maintenance like cleaning the cache of your 10 most-used apps can keep things running smoothly and fast. Regular optimization prevents the need for drastic measures like factory resets.
Method 1: Use Device Care for Instant Optimization
Samsung’s built-in Device Care feature provides the fastest way to speed up your phone with minimal effort. With just a few taps, it frees up memory, scans for potential malware, deletes junk files, and closes background apps.
Here’s how to use it:
- Open Settings and navigate to Battery and Device Care (or Device Care on older models)
- Tap the “Optimize now” button
- Wait a few seconds while Device Care scans your system
- Tap “Done” when the optimization completes
Device Care is the optimization app for devices running Android 9.0 (Pie) and higher, while Android 8.0 (Oreo) or 7.0 (Nougat) uses “Device maintenance,” and Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or below uses “Smart Manager”.
For hands-off maintenance, enable Auto Optimization. You can enable Auto Optimization in the Device Care menu so you don’t have to perform these steps every time. This ensures your phone automatically maintains optimal performance even when you forget.
For related optimization strategies across Samsung devices, check out our Samsung Performance Guide.
Method 2: Disable or Remove RAM Plus
While RAM Plus sounds beneficial, it can actually slow down your Samsung phone. Samsung’s RAM Plus feature uses a portion of internal storage as virtual RAM, but this can have the opposite effect and actually slow down your device because internal storage is much slower than physical RAM.
The performance impact becomes particularly noticeable during multitasking or when using resource-intensive apps. It’s a good idea to disable the RAM Plus feature, especially if your Samsung phone already has 8GB or 12GB RAM.
To disable RAM Plus:
- Navigate to Settings
- Select Battery and Device Care
- Tap Memory
- Select RAM Plus
- Toggle off the RAM Plus feature
- Tap Restart to apply changes
RAM Plus is designed to help when you run out of physical memory, so if you are a heavy multitasker who keeps dozens of apps open at once, you might see some erratic behavior once you hit your phone’s physical RAM limit. However, for most users, Android’s native memory management handles multitasking efficiently without virtual RAM.
Method 3: Reduce or Disable Animations
Animations make your phone look polished, but they also slow down the perceived speed of every interaction. Animations in One UI look great, but they eat up resources. Reducing animation speeds creates an instantly more responsive feel.
This requires enabling Developer Options first:
- Open Settings and scroll to “About phone”
- Tap “Software information”
- Find “Build number” and tap it rapidly 7 times
- You’ll see a message confirming Developer mode is enabled
Once Developer Options are accessible:
- Return to main Settings menu
- Scroll to the bottom and tap “Developer options”
- Find the “Drawing” section
- Adjust these three settings:
- Window animation scale: Set to 0.5x or off
- Transition animation scale: Set to 0.5x or off
- Animator duration scale: Set to 0.5x or off
Setting the scale to off (0.0x) disables the respective animation while setting it to 0.5x speeds up animations, which is best for increasing performance while keeping a bit of smoothness. The 0.5x setting provides a good balance between speed and visual appeal.
For more hidden settings that can enhance your device, explore our guide on One UI Hidden Features.
Method 4: Clear App Cache Regularly
Cache files help apps load faster, but accumulated cache can paradoxically slow your phone down. As the cache starts to fill up, your device might struggle to keep up because the processor has to search through more data to find what it wants, and it might also put pressure on the RAM.
To clear cache for individual apps:
- Open Settings and tap Apps
- Find the app you want to optimize
- Tap Storage
- Select “Clear cache”
Clearing the app cache works like a quick cleanse for your apps, removing leftover files that might be slowing things down or causing issues. This process doesn’t delete personal data, login information, or app settings.
For a more thorough cleaning, Device Care can clear cache from multiple apps simultaneously. Regularly clearing app caches helps avoid app freezes and saves significant storage, while clearing system cache once a month maintains system responsiveness.
Need help with cache management on other Samsung devices? Check out How to Clear Cache Samsung S7 or How to Clear Cache on Samsung TV.
Method 5: Manage Background Apps and Processes
Background apps consume valuable system resources even when you’re not actively using them. Too many apps running in the background slow your phone down, especially on older models lacking suitable hardware for heavy multitasking.
Samsung provides multiple tools to manage background activity:
Put Unused Apps to Sleep: If activated, apps will be put to sleep when they haven’t been used for a while, limiting battery usage for apps that you don’t use often.
- Go to Settings > Battery and Device Care
- Tap Battery
- Select “App power management”
- Enable “Put unused apps to sleep”
Limit Background Processes (Advanced):
Through Developer Options, you can set a hard limit on how many apps run simultaneously in the background:
- Open Developer Options
- Find “Background process limit”
- Set to “At most 4 processes” or your preferred limit
Keep in mind that changing this setting could affect the performance and battery life of your device, but the speed should be increased. This advanced setting works best on devices with limited RAM.
If background apps are draining your battery as well as slowing performance, our guide on Samsung Battery Draining Fast offers additional solutions.
Method 6: Adjust Performance Profile Settings
Samsung phones include performance profiles that balance speed, battery life, and thermal management. Each mode balances the performance of your phone with the battery used, with higher performance modes using more battery than lower performance modes.
Available profiles include:
High Performance: Higher system speed, maximum screen brightness and resolution, but uses more battery.
Optimized (Standard): Recommended balance of performance and battery life.
Light Performance: Light mode prioritizes battery life over processing speed, significantly extending battery life while maintaining adequate performance for basic tasks.
To change performance profiles:
- Navigate to Settings
- Tap Battery and Device Care
- Select “Performance profile”
- Choose your preferred mode
For gaming specifically, flagship models offer enhanced processing features. If you’re a mobile gamer, our Optimize Samsung for Gaming guide provides specialized tips.
Method 7: Manage Display Refresh Rate
Keeping your phone’s refresh rate above 60Hz will consume more battery, as Samsung implemented an “ADAPTIVE” refresh rate that scales between 24Hz and 120Hz (some going as far as down to 1Hz). While higher refresh rates create smoother visuals, they also demand more processing power.
For optimal performance:
Use Adaptive Refresh Rate: This allows your Samsung Galaxy phone to automatically adjust the refresh rate, going up to 120Hz for smoother visuals during tasks like scrolling or gaming, and reducing it back down to 60Hz when the screen doesn’t need as much power.
To adjust refresh rate:
- Open Settings
- Navigate to Display
- Tap “Motion smoothness”
- Select “Adaptive” for automatic adjustment or “Standard” (60Hz) to prioritize battery and performance
Some devices may not include adaptive refresh rate functionality, forcing the display to stay at the highest refresh rate constantly, which drains battery and can impact performance on mid-range devices.
Method 8: Free Up Storage Space
Ideally, most Android devices require at least 30% free storage space to function properly, so if your Samsung phone’s storage is over 70%, try deleting unimportant stuff or backing it up to cloud storage or desktop. Full storage slows everything from app launches to system operations.
Device Care provides storage management tools:
- Open Settings and tap Battery and Device Care
- Select Storage
- Tap categories like Images, Videos, or Audio files
- Select items to delete
- Tap “Move to Trash” or “Delete all”
Additional storage tips:
Review Unused Apps: You can tap Unused apps to review apps you haven’t used in the past 30 days, making it easy to identify candidates for removal.
Empty Trash: Permanently delete previously removed files from the Trash folder to reclaim space immediately.
Offload to Cloud: Use Samsung Cloud, Google Photos, or other cloud services to backup and remove local media files.
For tablet users experiencing similar issues, our How Do I Speed Up My Samsung Tablet guide offers device-specific recommendations.
Method 9: Keep Software Updated
Outdated software can slow phones over time, so download and install the latest software updates which often clean up bugs and make your phone more efficient. Samsung regularly releases updates that improve performance, fix bugs, and optimize resource management.
In 2025, One UI 7 and One UI 8 updates improved device responsiveness and overall UI performance, with many users reporting their phones feeling faster after updates rather than slower.
To check for updates:
- Open Settings
- Scroll to “Software update”
- Tap “Download and install”
- Follow on-screen instructions
Enable automatic updates to ensure your phone always runs the latest optimized software. For tablet owners, we have a dedicated guide on How to Update Samsung Tablet.
Method 10: Restart Your Phone Regularly
A more thorough way to clean the phone’s memory is to reboot it occasionally. Restarting clears temporary files, stops runaway processes, and refreshes system resources.
Manual restart options:
- Swipe down from the top with two fingers
- Tap the Power icon
- Select “Restart”
- Confirm by tapping “Restart” again
For automated maintenance, enable automatic restarts:
- Go to Settings > Battery and Device Care
- Tap “Auto optimization”
- Enable “Restart when needed”
You can have the phone reboot automatically, such as late at night when you won’t be using it. This ensures regular memory cleanup without manual intervention.
Method 11: Disable or Uninstall Bloatware
Pre-installed apps you never use still consume system resources. We all have certain apps we no longer require, so uninstall them to free up system resources, or if it is a pre-installed app, disable it from Settings.
To disable system apps:
- Navigate to Settings > Apps
- Find the app you want to disable
- Tap “Disable” (if available)
- Confirm the action
System apps that can’t be uninstalled can usually be disabled, preventing them from running in the background. Be cautious about which apps you disable to avoid breaking system functionality. Samsung’s keyboard, for example, is essential for accessibility settings to function properly.
Method 12: Enable Touch Sensitivity
You might feel your phone being slow when the display doesn’t respond to your touches at times, especially apparent on phones with thick screen protectors. Touch sensitivity adjustments can make interactions feel more responsive.
To enable enhanced touch sensitivity:
- Open Settings
- Tap Display
- Toggle on “Touch sensitivity”
This setting helps the screen react to lighter touches, particularly useful with screen protectors that add thickness between your finger and the display.
Method 13: Remove Home Screen Widgets
While app widgets can help you stay up-to-date, they use valuable system resources to constantly fetch updated information. Each widget requires background processing to maintain current data.
To remove widgets:
- Long-press on any widget
- Tap “Remove”
- Repeat for unnecessary widgets
Keep only widgets you actively use daily. Weather widgets, news feeds, and social media widgets are common resource consumers that many users rarely reference.
Method 14: Monitor and Address Overheating
Heat damages the phone’s CPU and can cause it to slow down significantly, as phones throttle performance when too hot to prevent damage. Thermal management directly affects speed.
Tips to prevent overheating:
- Avoid using the phone while charging
- Remove the case during intensive tasks
- Keep the phone away from direct sunlight
- Close resource-intensive apps when not needed
If overheating persists, our Samsung Phone Overheating Fix guide provides comprehensive solutions.
Method 15: Use Adaptive Battery and Power Saving Features
Android’s Adaptive Battery feature uses machine learning to analyze your usage patterns and limits power consumption for apps you use less frequently. This intelligent management prevents background apps from consuming resources unnecessarily.
To enable Adaptive Battery:
- Go to Settings > Battery and Device Care
- Tap Battery
- Select “App power management”
- Enable “Adaptive battery”
For extended battery life and improved performance:
Power saving mode limits certain things on your device, such as background network usage and syncing, and you can use additional options like limiting CPU speed to 70% or decreasing brightness by 10%.
Advanced Tips for Power Users
Wipe Cache Partition (Recovery Mode):
For system-wide cache clearing that goes beyond Device Care:
- Turn off your phone completely
- Press and hold Volume Up + Power button
- Release when the Samsung logo appears
- Use Volume Down to highlight “Wipe cache partition”
- Press Power to select
- Confirm with “Yes”
- Select “Reboot system now”
Clearing system cache can fix system-wide issues without affecting personal data and resolves performance glitches.
Consider Lite Apps:
Most apps these days come with Lite versions that are smaller in size and use fewer resources, so if your Samsung phone is lagging when using Instagram, use the Instagram Lite app instead. Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite, and Twitter Lite offer similar functionality with minimal resource usage.
What to Avoid When Speeding Up Your Phone
Don’t Clear Cache Too Frequently: Clearing cache too frequently is unnecessary; do it when experiencing issues or low storage. Excessive clearing forces apps to rebuild cache files repeatedly.
Avoid Aggressive Debloating: Removing system packages without understanding their function can break features. Research before disabling any app with “Samsung” or “System” in its name.
Factory Reset Isn’t Always the Answer: Resetting your device back to factory settings won’t fix the problem if underlying issues like corrupted updates or hardware problems exist.
When Performance Issues Persist
If you’ve tried these methods and your Samsung phone remains slow, consider:
Hardware Issues: Aging batteries, failing storage, or damaged components require professional assessment.
Software Conflicts: Some third-party apps cause persistent performance problems. Boot into Safe Mode to test whether installed apps are the culprit.
Time for an Upgrade: Devices older than three years may lack the hardware capacity to run modern apps smoothly, regardless of optimization.
Battery Calibration: For devices with battery-related performance issues, our guide on How to Calibrate Samsung Tablet Battery applies to phones as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I optimize my Samsung phone?
Use Device Care’s “Optimize now” function weekly for routine maintenance. Clear cache monthly or when you notice slowdowns. Restart your phone at least once per week.
Will clearing cache delete my photos or messages?
No. Clearing the app cache removes temporary files that might be slowing things down or causing issues, but doesn’t delete personal data, login information, or app settings.
Does disabling animations really make a difference?
Yes. While animations don’t technically increase processing speed, they significantly improve perceived responsiveness by eliminating visual delays between actions and results.
Can too many photos slow down my phone?
Directly, no. However, full storage (over 70% capacity) does slow system operations. Photo gallery apps also index large photo libraries, which can temporarily impact performance.
Should I use third-party cleaner apps?
Unnecessary. Samsung’s built-in Device Care provides comprehensive optimization without privacy concerns or aggressive battery drain associated with some third-party cleaners.
Why does my phone slow down after updates?
During the first few weeks after major updates, you might notice higher battery drain as the system recalibrates. Performance typically improves once the update settles.
Can I reverse Developer Options changes?
Yes. Simply return to Developer Options and reset animation scales to 1.0x (default) or toggle off Developer Options entirely from the same menu.
Does RAM Plus help on phones with low memory?
While RAM Plus is designed to help when you run out of physical memory, most users benefit more from proper memory management than virtual RAM, as storage-based RAM is significantly slower.
Maintaining Long-Term Performance
Keeping your Samsung phone fast requires ongoing maintenance rather than one-time fixes:
Weekly Routine:
- Run Device Care optimization
- Check for app updates
- Remove unused apps
Monthly Routine:
- Clear cache on frequently used apps
- Review and delete old downloads
- Check available storage space
Quarterly Routine:
- Restart your phone
- Review background app settings
- Update system software
By implementing these practices, you’ll prevent the gradual performance degradation that affects most smartphones over time.
Conclusion
Speeding up your Samsung phone doesn’t require technical expertise or factory resets. The 15 methods outlined here address the most common causes of slowdowns, from simple optimizations like Device Care to advanced tweaks in Developer Options.
Start with the easiest solutions: run Device Care optimization, disable RAM Plus if you have sufficient physical RAM, and reduce animation speeds. These three changes alone can dramatically improve how responsive your phone feels. If performance issues persist, work through the remaining methods systematically.
Remember that regular maintenance prevents slowdowns better than periodic deep cleaning. Enable Auto Optimization, keep software updated, and maintain at least 30% free storage space. These habits ensure your Samsung Galaxy device continues performing like new for years.
Ready to optimize other aspects of your Samsung device? Explore our comprehensive Samsung Performance Guide for additional tips, or dive into specific issues with our targeted support articles on battery life, gaming performance, and overheating fixes.
Take control of your Samsung phone’s performance today and enjoy the fast, responsive experience you deserve.
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