What to Do Instead of Defragmenting Your Android

PDF download Download Article
Do you need to defrag your Android phone? What the experts say
PDF download Download Article

Android devices should not be defragmented. Defragmenting an Android device will not lead to any performance gains, as flash memory is not affected by fragmentation. Defragmenting a flash drive (like the one Android devices use) will actually shorten its lifespan. If your Android phone or tablet is performing poorly, there are several steps you can take to try to increase performance.

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. Regardless of what the app descriptions might say, you do not need to defragment your Android device. Android devices use flash storage, which is not affected by file fragmentation like traditional hard drives are. In fact, defragmenting your Android will only serve to wear out the storage, lessening the lifespan of the device. [1] Instead of defragmenting the device, try some other ways to speed it up.
  2. If your storage is getting full, your Android device may take longer to perform tasks. Removing old apps that you no longer have a use for can free up a lot of space and get your device moving again. [2]
    • To uninstall apps, open the Settings app and find the "Apps" or "Applications" option. Find the app you want to remove in the "Downloaded" tab. Tap the app and then tap "Uninstall" to remove it.
    Advertisement
  3. If you have too many widgets or many pages of app shortcuts on your Home screens, your phone will likely lag every time the Home screens are loaded. Removing widgets you don't use can dramatically increase performance.
    • To remove widgets and app shortcuts, press and hold on the object on your Home screen and then drag it to the "Remove" or Trashcan icon.
  4. The stock Android web browser is one of the most common causes of slowdown, especially on older devices. This is because the stock browser is only updated when the system is updated, so devices running older versions of Android are stuck with an outdated web browser.
    • Chrome and Firefox are both popular Android browsers that are compatible with most devices. You can get either one for free from the Google Play Store.
  5. Android allows you to use animated and interactive wallpapers, but these can seriously slow down older devices. Switch to a static image if your device is lagging whenever you open the Home screen.
  6. Android does a pretty good job of monitoring your system resource usage and automatically suspending apps, but sometimes apps go awry and need to be closed manually. Press the Recent button on your device (bottom-right), and then swipe away all of the apps that appear. This will close each of these apps and potentially increase your device's performance.
    • Avoid task killer apps, as these prevent your Android from performing its automated system resource handling. Closing apps with task killers will often lead to worse performance.
  7. Much like deleting your old apps, clearing out your device's storage can help speed things up if it's getting full. There are a few places you can check for files taking up space.
    • Your Downloads folder will often fill up over time with random downloads. Review the files here and clean out anything you don't need.
    • Pictures can take up a lot of space on your device. Backup any pictures you want to save to your computer or Google Photos, and then delete them from the device. See How to Transfer Photos from Android to Computer for detailed instructions.
    • Music files are another common storage-hogging culprit. Review your library and decide if there are any songs you want to get rid of. Many streaming services allow you to save songs for offline listening, so be sure to check those apps as well.
    8. Advertisement

How Can You Speed Up Your Old Phone?


Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What is a good cleaner?
    Community Answer
    Don't download any cleaner apps as they tend to slow down the phone more than it already is. Instead, try the steps in this article.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 40
  • Question
    How do I know which apps I can disable or remove?
    Community Answer
    Ask Google, or just do it. It will give you a warning if you're about to delete something important for the Android's functioning.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 20
  • Question
    My android phone freezes sometimes, what can I do?
    Community Answer
    Get more space, uninstall apps you don't need or use. Delete photos that you don't need either.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 7
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • If you have a rooted device running Android 4.2 or earlier, you can use the LagFix app to perform TRIM functions on your flash storage. These functions are performed automatically in Android 4.3 and newer. Lag Fix requires root access in order to run. In no circumstances should you run this app on an unrooted device, as it will brick your device.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Add Widgets on Android
      How to
      Check What Android Version You Have
      How to
      Add an App Back to Home Screen: Tips for Finding Apps
      4 Simple Ways to Turn Off Safe Mode on Any Android
      3 Ways to Unlock an Android Tablet
      How to
      Find Your Phone Number on Android
      How to
      Block All Incoming Calls on an Android Phone
      How to
      Connect Android Phone to Computer
      How to
      Copy an Entire Text Conversation on Android
      How to
      Hide Apps on Android
      How to
      Change Number of Rings on Android
      How to
      Disable Parental Controls on Android
      6 Ways to Fix "Insufficient Storage Available" on an Android
      A Guide to Copying and Pasting with the Android Clipboard
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ http://www.tabletpcreview.com/feature/do-not-defragment-a-tablets-internal-storage/
      2. ↑ http://www.androidcentral.com/my-android-slow-5-things-you-can-do-speed-things-back#slide2

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 77,939 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Anonymous

        May 10, 2017

        "I was curious if defrag was an option; it was helpful to learn the answer, as well as the list of other options."
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement