A brand-new Android cell phone feels quick. Apps start immediately, scrolling is smooth, and multitasking is easy. After a few months (sometimes a year), it begins to freeze, to overheat, to lag, or to open WhatsApp or Chrome extremely slowly.
It is a common occurrence for almost all Android phones, including the low-cost phones from Kenya and the top brands of Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Tecno, and Infinix.
Recently, I took a three-year-old Samsung Galaxy A23 and tried it against it after restoring it to factory settings. There was a great difference. Apps started quicker, animation had smoother transitions, and battery heating was reduced significantly. That test proved that a good portion of Android slowdowns aren't just a matter of “old age.”
Let's look at what causes Android phones to get slow over time.
a) Storage is filling up!
Low storage is one of the major reasons that Android phones slow down.
The majority of people continue to download these:
-
- TikTok videos
- WhatsApp images
- Telegram files
- Screenshots
- Apps they never use
The storage becomes full over time. Android requires space to temporarily store files and to manage apps. If storage space fills up, performance suffers greatly.
Many budget phones are available with 64GB storage capacity in Kenya. Once system files and system updates are removed, the available space may be reduced to approximately 45GB. That can be a lot of videos and apps in a matter of a few months.
If you notice the following, it's likely that your storage is causing lag.
i. It will take longer to save photos with the camera.
ii. Apps crash randomly
iii. Delays in pressing keys on the keyboard when typing
iv. Messes up switching between applications.
v. App switching freezes on phone.
What helps
Store with a 15-20% free storage space.
Delete duplicate videos
Regularly delete media from WhatsApp. Regularly remove media in WhatsApp.
Transfer photos to Google Photos or the SD Card
b) Too Many Background Apps
Certain applications run in the background even when they're not in use.
The social media apps refresh constantly in the background, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and some cleaner apps. They consume:
-
-
-
- RAM
- battery
- internet
- processor power
-
-
The worst sufferers are the cheap Android phones with 3 GB or 4 GB of RAM.
I once examined a Tecno Spark device in Nairobi from a student. It had more than 38 applications running in the background. After disabling unnecessary apps from auto-start, the phone got a significant boost in speed.
Some common apps can cause slowdowns. Typical apps that slow down.
-
-
-
- Battery saver apps
- RAM cleaner apps
- Heavy launchers
- Live wallpapers
- Some antivirus apps
-
-
Ironically, many “phone booster” apps slow down Android instead of speeding it up
c) Android Updates Get heavier.
Android apps and system updates keep increasing in demand year by year.
The software available for a 2026 phone release might not run on a 2022 phone release. Nowadays, developers create apps for higher processor speed and higher memory.
For example:
Today, Chrome is using more memory than 3 years ago.
- Instagram displays heavier content.
- The GPUs in mobile devices have to be more powerful.
- The AI features enhance the background processing.
That's why sometimes older devices take a hit in speed when they get major updates.
However, it doesn't necessarily indicate that manufacturers are knowingly slowing down phones. At times, the hardware just can't meet the newer software needs.
d) Battery Health Affects Performance
The performance of the battery will be influenced by its health.
It's not something many people are aware of.
Android batteries degrade in efficiency as they get older. If the battery is weak, the phone will decrease its processor speed to avoid sudden shutdowns or overheating.
-
-
- Common signs include:
- battery draining quickly
- overheating during charging
- lag while gaming
- sudden percentage drops
-
Heat, particularly, is harmful.
If you leave your phone in direct sunlight or charge it while playing games, this can cause it to wear out more quickly in hot conditions, such as in Nairobi, Mombasa, or Kisumu.
The following are habits that can shorten battery life:
-
- Using fake chargers
- Charging overnight daily
- Gaming while charging
- Allowing the battery level to drop to 0% regularly
e) Cheap Storage Chips Wear Out
The cost of storage chips is dropping, but they're still prone to wearing out.
Not every Android handset is created equal.
The budget phones typically employ a slower and less expensive type of storage called eMMC storage. They're slower than high-end phones' faster UFS storage.
Over time:
- App loading slows down
Transfers of files become slower.
System responsiveness drops
That's why a Samsung or Google Pixel can be a little smoother after a few years than some of the more affordable phone models.
f) Caches of junk files are created.
A temporary file is a cache that is stored in apps.
While cached information makes applications quicker to open, too much can eventually result in an unorganized and large amount of data.
Several gigabytes of cached files can be found in some apps.
I once spotted that TikTok used up more than 9GB in a Redmi phone, where most of the space was taken by temporary cache.
Going on to clear the cache can also help.
Go to:
To clear the cache, go to Settings → Apps → Chosen App → Storage → Clear Cache.
Don't empty caches for all applications every day. That will even slow loading for a while. Clear the cache only rarely for apps that use a lot of resources.
Android devices slow down mainly because of storage overload, aging batteries, background apps, heavier software updates, and low-quality hardware components.
The slowdown usually happens gradually, which is why many people do not notice it immediately.
Learn about Android's recent updates June-android-security-updates
Created and edited by
Caleb Muga
