Tips and tricks for speeding up your Android device

You may have noticed over the past few
months that your once-speedy Android
device has slowed down considerably.
Simple tasks such as switching between
apps or returning home are proving more
troublesome than before, and you are now
experiencing lag in all the wrong places.
Things don't have to be this way, however.
These simple tips and tricks can help speed
up your device and make it perform like
new:

1. Uninstall or disable unused apps
Your device has a limited amount of
internal storage and the less free space it
has the slower it will perform. If you have
filled your device with photos, music, or
apps, it is recommended to free up space
by either uninstalling unused apps or
moving files to cloud storage services like
Dropbox or Google Drive.
Uninstalling apps can be done by going to
Settings, opening the Apps menu, and
selecting the app you wish to uninstall.
Preloaded applications from carriers or
manufacturers that cannot be uninstalled,
known as bloatware, can at least be
disabled and hidden from the app drawer
using this method.

On smartphones and tablets that include
expandable storage you can also move apps
to the microSD card. To do this, enter
Settings, go to the Apps menu, click the
app you wish to move, and select the
"Move to SD card" option.

2. Clear app caches
Cached data can build up over time in your
applications and affect the performance of
your device. Deleting individual caches can
be done in the Apps menu, but a number
of free programs are available through the
Google Play store that can automate the
process. Some of the most popular ones
include App Cache Cleaner and Clean
Master , both of which are available for
free.

3. Limit widgets and live wallpapers
Many people would argue that widgets are
one of the benefits of using an Android
device. They can be helpful for finding
information quickly without having to open
an app, but at the same time they can eat
away at battery life and slow your device.
Reducing the number of widgets, especially
data-intensive ones like Facebook, will help
your smartphone or tablet run more
smoothly and last longer. You can remove
widgets from the home screen by long-
pressing the one you wish to delete and
dragging it to the top of the screen.
Another cool Android feature is the option
to use a live wallpaper as your background.
Like widgets, however, live wallpapers can
slow down your device and drain the
battery. You can also change your
wallpaper with a long press on the home
screen.

4. Disable animations
A hidden settings option in Android will
give you access to commands you may have
never known existed. Go to Settings, About
Phone, scroll down to Build number, and
tap it seven times. You will now have
access to developer options. These special
settings allow you to do a variety of things,
but they are meant for advanced users and
shouldn't be changed unless you know what
you are doing.
One tweak that could speed up your device
is disabling animations within the operating
system. To do this, open Settings, go to
Developer options, and scroll down to the
Drawing option. Next, turn off the Window
animation scale, Transition animation
scale, and Animator duration scale. This
will disable animations that occur when you
open, close, and switch between apps.
Although the interface will look less
polished, there should be less lag in
performance.

5. Get software updates
Manufacturers and carriers are continually
pushing out new software updates to their
devices. It is imperative that you be on the
latest firmware as these updates usually
include security and bug fixes, among other
things that will improve the overall stability
of your device. To check to see if there is
an update available, go to Settings, select
About Phone, and choose the "System
updates" option.

6. Rooting, ROMing, and more
Risk takers and advanced users can also
root their device, which will open the door
to new features and even greater
performance boosts. Rooting gives you the
ability to overclock the device's processor,
install a custom ROM, and other things;
however it also voids your warranty and
could cause irreversible damage to the
device.
Be sure to check out these five apps that
can help prolong your smartphone's
battery life.