Share:
5 apps that slow down your phone
Your phone serves many roles. Beyond simple communication, it offers immediate access to your email, the internet, a camera, games, apps for work and school, social media, navigation and so much more. Wouldn’t you want it to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible at all times?
Many factors can affect your phone’s performance, from a poor Wi-Fi signal to a full cache. Tap or click here for seven tips on speeding up your smartphone.
Your choice of apps plays a big impact on how well your phone runs. Some are always running processes in the background, while others are constantly updating information. We’ll show you some of the biggest culprits and follow it all up with information on what you can do about it.
1. Social media
It’s nice to have access to social media on the go, but these apps rely on keeping you informed with the latest posts from every person and page you follow. You should know that these updates don’t only happen when you’re signed in.
Apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok are updating their newsfeeds every second of the day. If you have location services enabled for the app, your location is also being revealed no matter where you go. Parler has returned to the app store and we’ll show you how to download it.
2. Maps
Navigation apps keep tabs on your location at all times, even when you aren’t using them. After all, their main function is to know where you are so they can take you where you want to go.
Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze and other navigation apps are always quietly updating your location. These constant updates can contribute to your phone acting sluggish. Tap or click here to learn how to tinker with your location settings, along with other tips for improving your iPhone security.
3. Music
When you listen to music, a podcast or any audio on your smartphone, it takes priority. If you have a music app running and want to browse the internet and check your banking app, for example, your phone could become overwhelmed and delay everything in favor of your music.
Apps such as Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music put your listening experience above all else.
4. Dating
Dating apps constantly update information on your location to match you with other locals. They also check for matches, sending you a new message each time this happens.
New singles may be available in your area, but do you always need to know about it? Popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge think you do.
5. Finance
Smart investments can help you secure a better future, but watch out for apps that gobble up your phone’s memory. Stock market apps make it their goal to give you the most up-to-date information on share prices. You should be able to open the app and immediately see how your portfolio is doing.
The problem is finance apps like Robinhood, Weeble and TD Ameritrade are always tracking numbers while open in the background, taking a chunk out of your phone’s performance. Tap or click here to discover how to spot fake investment apps that go after your money.
Indulge your need for speed
Now you know that any app that is always running in the background is slowing your smartphone down. But wait, there’s more. These apps need the power to perform their functions, which means your battery is taking a hit as well.
Your first line of defense is deletion. Look through the five types of apps we listed and get rid of any that you could live without. Do you need more than one navigation app? When’s the last time you logged into your Pinterest account? Perhaps your OkCupid membership has expired but the app is still installed.
Get rid of any unnecessary apps now. You can always download them again in the future if you feel the need to.
If you don’t want to drop an app, you can restrict its behavior while running in the background. To change the background app refresh settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Toggle off any apps in the list that don’t need to be updated all the time.
On Android, go to Settings by tapping the gear symbol. Tap Connections > Data Usage > Mobile data usage and select an app from the list. Toggle off Allow background data usage for any apps that don’t need to update in the background constantly.
You should also always keep your apps updated with the latest patches and fixes. These updates can fix bugs that slow your phone down and cause battery issues.
Keep reading
Smartphone privacy: 3 types of apps collecting more data than you realize
Tech tip: Speed up your Windows or Mac’s startup the easy way
Share: