Most of us tend to get frustrated and angry when our favorite Android app lags or hangs. We probably saw one of these error messages too: Unfortunately app has stopped, Can't install app, Parse error, Force Close, Insufficient storage, and other similar prompts. These issues hinder the usability and productivity of app, and will make the phone slow and unresponsive. In this post, you will see why an app lags or hangs, and how to fix it. We also listed tips to make your phone faster.
Reason why an app lags or hangs
This is a problem with improper RAM management and will make your phone process slow.
What is RAM?
RAM (Random Access Memory) also known as main memory, primary memory, or system memory, is a short-term digital storage. It provides space for your device to read and write data to be accessed by the CPU (central processing unit). Computers and phones use RAM mainly to hold data that are used by active applications, along with the CPU and operating system's kernel, because RAM is very fast when it comes to reading and writing. To simply understand, here are three basic things about RAM: (1) RAM is volatile, it is a place to hold data for a short period of time, (2) data placed there can be read or written very fast, and (3) when you shut down your phone, data in RAM is erased. Furthermore, a portion of RAM is used as soon as you turn on your phone again, and no apps or even the OS is able to use that portion.
Why RAM matters on a smartphone?
RAM is a super-fast type of memory that temporarily stores the apps you've opened since you turned on your phone.
That temporary memory allows you return to an app you've previously used and picked up right where you left off, without delay.
Without RAM, when you switch to another app, apps would close themselves, causing delays in revisiting one you've previously used.
The more RAM your phone has, the more applications it can store for quick access, resulting in an overall feeling of your phone working faster.
How much memory do apps use?
Here is a list of three different categories of apps:
1. “Standard” apps - use between 130MB and 400MB of RAM. There are apps like YouTube, Spotify and WhatsApp, as well as games like Temple Run, Crossy Road and Candy Crush. Surprisingly, Mobile Legends (with low graphics settings) is in this category too.
2. “Media-intensive” apps - which load lots of images and therefore use more memory to show them, which consume RAM between 400MB and 700MB. Some of the apps included in this category are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Photos.
3. “Huge” apps - mostly high-end games which are considered RAM-hungry games, or RAM-intensive apps. Games like Need for Speed: No Limits or PUBG Mobile can use between 800MB and 1152MB. Chrome is also in this category (with 3 tabs open).
What is RAM?
RAM (Random Access Memory) also known as main memory, primary memory, or system memory, is a short-term digital storage. It provides space for your device to read and write data to be accessed by the CPU (central processing unit). Computers and phones use RAM mainly to hold data that are used by active applications, along with the CPU and operating system's kernel, because RAM is very fast when it comes to reading and writing. To simply understand, here are three basic things about RAM: (1) RAM is volatile, it is a place to hold data for a short period of time, (2) data placed there can be read or written very fast, and (3) when you shut down your phone, data in RAM is erased. Furthermore, a portion of RAM is used as soon as you turn on your phone again, and no apps or even the OS is able to use that portion.
Why RAM matters on a smartphone?
RAM is a super-fast type of memory that temporarily stores the apps you've opened since you turned on your phone.
That temporary memory allows you return to an app you've previously used and picked up right where you left off, without delay.
Without RAM, when you switch to another app, apps would close themselves, causing delays in revisiting one you've previously used.
The more RAM your phone has, the more applications it can store for quick access, resulting in an overall feeling of your phone working faster.
How much memory do apps use?
Here is a list of three different categories of apps:
1. “Standard” apps - use between 130MB and 400MB of RAM. There are apps like YouTube, Spotify and WhatsApp, as well as games like Temple Run, Crossy Road and Candy Crush. Surprisingly, Mobile Legends (with low graphics settings) is in this category too.
2. “Media-intensive” apps - which load lots of images and therefore use more memory to show them, which consume RAM between 400MB and 700MB. Some of the apps included in this category are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Photos.
3. “Huge” apps - mostly high-end games which are considered RAM-hungry games, or RAM-intensive apps. Games like Need for Speed: No Limits or PUBG Mobile can use between 800MB and 1152MB. Chrome is also in this category (with 3 tabs open).
After understanding the nature of RAM, let us proceed on how to fix the lag and speed up your phone.
Tips To Make Your Phone Faster
Here are some tips to fix the lag of an app, thus making your phone faster.
1. Problem Identification
What is causing the problem? Is it an App, Multiple Apps, or System Apps?
You can run a Security App and the likes, on your phone and see what app is running on background and eating up precious resources, like RAM, Internal Storage, and Battery Charge.
Once you've identified the problem, you can now start optimizing and fixing the issue.
2. Free up your Storage
The good thing about most of smartphones, are they are equipped with a utility app that scans and diagnose storage capacity and suggests actions that can be performed. Run a Cleaner App and the likes, to dispose of Cached Files, Obsolete Files, Installer Packages, and Residuals from App installers, and Temporary Memory Data.
These files accumulate data and in time will occupy most of your data storage.
Clearing Cache from individual Apps will also help in reducing the number of unwanted files in your storage. This data cache is used to speed up operations but only effective up to a point. If you are running out of space this can actually be counter-productive.
If overall performance on your phone is slowing, there's even an easier way to clear all cached app data at once on Android 4.2 and up. Go to Settings > Storage > Cached Data. This will give you the option to erase all your app's cached data.
Bloatwares are pre-installed apps on your unit, if you will not be using these apps, the option is either delete them or disable them. This will free up more space.
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You may also uninstall seldomly used or totally unused apps to free up space. Just long press the app icon, and select Remove or Uninstall.
3. Remove unnecessary widgets
Widgets do look good on your home screen, but having a lot of them to the point of having one page dedicated to widgets is overkill. The tip is just to use what is necessary.
4. Turn off animations (optional)
Animations may look great but this also slows down your phone slightly, yes it does. The trick is you can customize some of this animations to move quickly or totally shut it off.
5. Close unused apps and free up RAM
Close apps that you don't need running on the background when shifting to another app, leaving it running will take up resources and will tend to slow down your work. By closing the app this will free up more RAM.
6. Task Killers and 3rd party Cleaners
Using task killer and 3rd party Cleaners may seem to be a good idea, but it's not. Most modern Android phones are now intelligent when it comes in RAM management. They also implement OS optimization updates. Cleaner Apps are already pre-installed in your unit.
7. Restart your device
To ensure that the device is running at optimal performance, it is recommended to restart your phone once a week. The longer that the device goes without being restarted, the more that cache and other junk files will degrade the performance of the device. Periodically restarting your Android phone could clean up broken or damaged caches and prevent app bugs to make for smoother user experience.
8. Update your Apps and Firmware
Make sure your software is up to date. Generally, Updates may contain the following, Feature/s, UI improvements, Security Updates, and the most important one is Bug Fixes/Performance Optimization, that will speed up your smartphone experience.
9. Factory Reset
When everything is slow and your phone is close to unresponsive state, Factory Reset is the last resort, make sure to backup all important files before performing the nerve-racking factory reset.
The good thing about a factory reset is your phone system will be restored to the condition the manufacturer shipped it in. When you first powered on your unit, and play with the settings, installed your first App and days of no worries.
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What can you say about these tips to make your phone faster? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Credits: Mi Community
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