How to Speed Up an Old or Cheap Android Phone

Is your old Android phone running slow? Does every tap feel like waiting forever? You’re not alone. Millions struggle with laggy phones daily.

The good news? You don’t need a new phone. Simple tweaks can transform your sluggish device into a smooth performer. This guide shows proven methods to boost Android speed without spending a dime.

Why Is My Android Phone Slow?

Old phones slow down for clear reasons. Let’s understand what’s happening.

Your device has limited RAM and storage. Over time, apps pile up. Background processes eat resources. The operating system becomes outdated.

Think of it like a cluttered desk. Too many things compete for space. Your phone struggles to keep up.

Here’s what causes the slowdown:

• Too many apps running in background
• Low storage space issues
• Outdated Android version
• Heavy animations and effects
• Bloatware and unused apps
• Cache and junk files

Budget Android phones face extra challenges. They start with less powerful hardware. A Moto G4 or similar device has only 2GB RAM. Modern apps demand much more.

But hardware isn’t everything. Smart software changes make huge differences.

Disable Animations to Fix Laggy Android Phone

This trick feels like magic. Your phone won’t actually get faster. But it will feel lightning quick.

Android uses animations everywhere. Apps slide in and out. Folders burst open with effects. On slow devices, these animations stutter and lag.

The solution? Turn them off completely.

How to Disable Animation Scale

First, unlock developer options on your Android device.

Step-by-step process:

1. Open Settings app
2. Scroll to “About phone”
3. Find “Build number”
4. Tap it 7 times rapidly
5. You’ll see “You are now a developer” message

Now access the hidden settings.

Go back to main Settings. Search for “animation” or find “Developer options.”

Look for these three settings:

• Window animation scale
• Transition animation scale
• Animator duration scale

Set all three to “Animation off”

The change is instant. Apps now appear immediately. No more waiting for transitions. Your cheap phone suddenly feels snappy.

This Android optimization tip works on any version. Even Android 7.0 Nougat benefits greatly.

Switch Your Launcher and Start Fresh

Your home screen controls everything. A heavy launcher kills performance before you even open an app.

Phone manufacturers load their own launchers. These come packed with bloatware and widgets. Carrier apps make things worse.

A lightweight launcher Android can breathe new life into your device.

Best Launchers for Slow Android Phones

Here are proven options that improve Android performance:

Launcher	Best For	Key Feature
Nova Launcher	Overall performance	Highly customizable, smooth
Apex Launcher	Visual customization	Icon packs, themes
Smart Launcher 3	Simplicity	Minimal, organized
Lawnchair	Stock Android feel	Clean, lightweight

Nova Launcher leads the pack. It looks like stock Android but runs smoother. The Prime version lets you hide unwanted apps.

Apex Launcher offers similar features. It has a blocky aesthetic. Great for theme lovers.

Smart Launcher 3 takes a different approach. It organizes apps automatically. Perfect if you want simplicity.

How to Install and Set Up

Download your chosen launcher from Play Store. Open it once installed. The system will ask which launcher to use.

Select your new launcher. Choose “Always” to make it default.

Start fresh with your home screen. Add only apps you actually use. Skip the widgets unless necessary.

This single change can reduce lag significantly. Your old phone performance improves immediately.

Use Google Go Apps for Low RAM Phones

Google makes two versions of most apps. Regular versions are feature-packed but heavy. Go versions are stripped down and lightning fast.

These lightweight apps for low-RAM phones save space and memory. They’re designed for Android Go edition devices. But anyone can use them.

Essential Google Go Apps

Google Maps Go loads instantly. Navigation for Google Maps Go provides turn-by-turn directions. Together they use fraction of normal Maps.

YouTube Go lets you preview videos. Download them for offline viewing. Choose quality to save data.

Gmail Go handles email efficiently. It works great on outdated Android versions. Requires Android 8.1 but worth upgrading for.

Gallery Go organizes photos smartly. Uses AI without eating resources. Available on Play Store for all.

Files by Google cleans junk automatically. Manages storage brilliantly. Essential for any slow device.

How to Get Go Apps

Some appear on Play Store directly. Others need sideload apps Android method.

Available on Play Store:

• Google Maps Go
• Navigation for Google Maps Go
• Gallery Go
• Files by Google

Requires APK Mirror download:

• Google Go
• Google Assistant Go
• GBoard Go (keyboard)
• Gmail Go

For APK installation, enable “Unknown Sources” in settings. Download from trusted sites only. APK Mirror is safe and verified.

Each Go app saves 50-80% space compared to regular versions. They launch faster and use less RAM usage Android.

Use Lite Apps and Web Shortcuts

Social media apps are resource monsters. Facebook alone can consume 500MB storage. It constantly runs in background.

Lite apps Android solve this problem elegantly.

Best Lite Versions to Install

Facebook Lite does everything important. Posts, comments, messages work fine. Uses 90% less space than full app.

Messenger Lite handles chats perfectly. Video calls included. No stickers or games to slow things down.

Twitter Lite loads feeds quickly. All core features present. Much lighter on data saver mode Android.

LinkedIn Lite keeps you connected professionally. Browse jobs and network easily. Tiny footprint.

Uber Lite books rides efficiently. Designed for slow connections. Perfect for budget phones.

Web Apps as Alternatives

Many apps work great as web shortcuts. Instagram, Snapchat, and Tinder have excellent mobile sites.

How to create web app shortcuts:

1. Open Chrome browser
2. Visit the website (like instagram.com)
3. Tap three-dot menu
4. Select “Add to Home screen”
5. Name your shortcut

The icon appears on your launcher. Tapping it opens the site in app-like container. You stay logged in between visits.

This Android customization guide trick saves massive space. No background processes eating RAM. Performance stays smooth.

Uninstall Apps You Don’t Need or Use

This sounds obvious but most people ignore it. Unused apps pile up silently.

Every installed app takes space. Many run background processes. Some wake your phone constantly. This drains battery and slows performance.

Be ruthless with app management.

How to Remove Bloatware Android

Pre-installed apps are the worst offenders. You didn’t ask for them. You can’t easily remove them.

System apps to consider disabling:

• Carrier apps you never use
• Manufacturer’s duplicate apps
• Pre-loaded games
• Unnecessary widgets

Long-press any app icon. Select “App info” from menu. If “Uninstall” appears, use it. If only “Disable” is available, that works too.

Disabled apps stop running. They free up RAM. Storage use drops to nearly zero.

Check your app list monthly. Remove anything you haven’t opened in 30 days. Install again later if needed.

Turn On Data Saver Modes Everywhere

Slow connections make phones feel sluggish. Large web pages take forever loading. Social feeds constantly refresh.

Data saver modes help tremendously.

Enable Chrome Lite Mode

Chrome has built-in data compression. Google’s servers compress pages before sending them.

Activate it:

• Open Chrome
• Tap three dots
• Go to Settings
• Find “Lite mode”
• Toggle it on

Pages load faster. You use less data. The phone works less hard.

App-Specific Data Saving

Most major apps include data saver features.

Twitter data saver:

1. Tap your profile picture
2. Settings and privacy
3. Data usage
4. Enable Data saver

Facebook data saver:

1. Tap three-line menu
2. Find Data Saver
3. Turn it on

YouTube limit mobile data usage:

1. Open Settings
2. General section
3. Enable “Limit mobile data usage”

Android 7.0 Nougat and above have system-wide Data Saver. Access it from quick settings. Pull down notification shade twice. Tap Data Saver tile.

This forces all apps to reduce background usage. Current app also uses less data. The difference is noticeable on slow budget Android phones.

Clear Out Your Storage and Free Up Space

Low storage kills performance. When space runs out, Android struggles with basic tasks.

Your phone needs breathing room. Aim for at least 1GB free at all times.

Use Files by Google

This app is a game-changer. It finds junk automatically. Suggests smart cleanups.

What it removes:

• Duplicate files
• Blurry photos
• Old downloads
• Unused apps
• Temporary files

Open Files by Google. Tap “Clean” tab. Review suggestions. Delete with confidence.

The app also moves files to microSD card storage. This frees internal space for apps.

Cloud Backup Your Photos

Photos eat storage fastest. A few months of pictures can fill 16GB completely.

Google Photos offers perfect solution. Back up unlimited photos free. Well, free with compression to 16MP.

Set it up:

1. Install Google Photos
2. Open settings in app
3. Choose “Backup & sync”
4. Select “High quality” (free unlimited)
5. Let it upload everything

Once backed up, delete local copies. Your photos stay accessible in cloud. You reclaim gigabytes instantly.

Add MicroSD Card Storage

Many budget phones have card slots. A microSD card expands capacity cheaply.

Get 64GB or 128GB card. Samsung and SanDisk are reliable brands.

Insert the card. Android detects it automatically. Go to Settings > Storage. Format card as portable storage.

Move apps to SD card:

1. Settings > Apps
2. Select an app
3. Tap Storage
4. Choose “Change”
5. Select SD card

Not all apps can move. System apps stay internal. But many games and large apps work fine on SD.

This simple upgrade transforms phones with low storage issues.

Optimize Battery and Background Apps

Battery drain and slowness connect directly. Apps running in background cause both problems.

Android lets you control this behavior.

Manage Background App Activity

Modern Android versions include smart battery optimization.

Go to Settings > Battery. Look for “Battery optimization” or “Background restriction.”

Review the list of apps. Most should be “Optimized.” This means Android limits their background activity.

Apps to restrict aggressively:

• Social media apps
• News apps
• Shopping apps
• Games

Apps to leave unrestricted:

• Messaging apps
• Alarm clock
• Navigation apps

Restricting background apps reduces RAM usage Android. Your device stays responsive longer.

Remove Task Killers and RAM Savers

Task killer apps promise to speed up your phone. They’re lying.

These apps actually make things worse. They force-close apps constantly. Android immediately restarts them. This creates endless loop of closing and opening.

The result? More battery drain. Slower performance. Wasted resources.

If you have any task killer installed, uninstall it immediately. Android manages memory better on its own.

Advanced Tips for Maximum Performance

Want to squeeze every bit of speed? Try these expert tricks.

Enable Force GPU Rendering

This developer option shifts work to graphics processor. It can smooth scrolling and animations.

Find it in Developer Options. Toggle “Force GPU rendering” on.

Test for a few days. Some apps might behave strangely. If problems appear, turn it back off.

Battery life may decrease slightly. Trade-off might be worth it for smoother experience.

Remove Live Wallpapers and Widgets

Animated wallpapers look cool. They also consume resources constantly.

Switch to static wallpaper. Choose solid colors or simple images.

Widgets update regularly. Weather, news, and calendar widgets poll servers. This uses data and CPU.

Remove widgets you don’t check multiple times daily. Keep only essentials.

Your lightweight launcher makes this easier. Nova Launcher lets you create clean, fast home screens.

Consider Custom ROMs (Advanced Users Only)

Installing custom ROM gives you newest Android. It removes all bloatware completely.

Popular options include LineageOS and Pixel Experience. They run on many older devices.

Warning: This is complicated. You need to:

• Unlock bootloader
• Install custom recovery
• Flash ROM files
• Deal with potential bugs

One wrong step can brick your device. Only attempt if you’re tech-savvy. Research your specific phone model thoroughly.

The payoff? A Moto G4 can run Android 11 or 12. It feels like a new phone.

But for most users, the steps above provide enough improvement. Custom ROMs are last resort for enthusiasts.

FAQs

How do I make my old Android phone faster? 

Disable animations, use lightweight launchers, install Go apps, and clear storage space regularly.

Why is my Android phone so slow and laggy? 

Low RAM, full storage, too many background apps, and outdated software cause most slowdown issues.

What is the best launcher for old Android phones? 

Nova Launcher offers the best balance of features and performance for slow devices.

How can I free up space on my Android without deleting apps? 

Use Files by Google to remove junk, back up photos to cloud, and move apps to SD card.

Do lite apps really make Android faster? 

Yes, lite apps use 50-80% less storage and RAM compared to regular versions, improving speed noticeably.

Should I disable animations on Android? 

Absolutely, turning off animation scale makes your phone feel instantly faster with no downsides.

Conclusion

Old Android phones don’t need to feel painful. Simple changes make dramatic differences.

Start with animations and launcher. Add Go apps and lite versions. Clean your storage regularly. These steps cost nothing but deliver real results.

Your cheap phone can handle daily tasks smoothly. Email, messaging, social media, and navigation all work fine. You’re keeping a device out of landfills while saving money.

Give these Android optimization tips a try. Your old device deserves a second chance.