If you’re unsure why your phone is running slower than it usually does, one likely suspect is your apps. You may already know too well how Facebook and TikTok can grab ahold of your iPhone battery and drain it fast. Deleting social media apps will probably help you see major benefits to your device that include a faster-running phone. But they aren’t the only apps dragging your phone along.
We don’t always think of pre-installed apps as particularly problematic. This is because we may assume Apple has our best interests at heart when deciding which apps to include in its pre-installation lineup. But even well-intentioned apps can kill your battery. If you want a faster phone, tech experts suggest deleting these three pre-installed apps.
Safari and Chrome
Okay, no. Before you think we’re suggesting that you literally delete your browser apps, that’s not what we’re getting at. Safari comes pre-installed as your iPhone’s default browser, and there’s a good chance you’ve also included Chrome into the mix, since it is one of the most popular browsers in the world. But these browsers could be the reason your phone lags, and clearing their caches every now and then is an important way to get your phone back up to speed.
To clear Safari cache, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data > Clear History and Data. To clear Chrome cache, open the Chrome browser and tap on the three dots in the corner and then on Settings. Tap Privacy > Clear Browsing Data.
Widgets
These aren’t pre-installed apps, but apps that offer widgets that your iPhone can display as shortcuts for you can drain your battery. Cleaning up your screen of too many widgets is one smart way to keep the strain on your battery to a minimum.
Weather and Navigation Apps
This is more of a warning not to download outside weather and navigation apps when your iPhone comes equipped with pretty decent built-in versions. Both weather and navigation apps rely on your location to function the way they need to, but having access to your location at all times is also draining on your battery. There are a few ways to remedy this, including keeping just one of each app and deleting the rest and adjusting your location services settings so that these apps only use your location when you are actively using them.
Changing the way you use some of your apps or how you think about your pre-installed apps can create a less taxing situation for your battery, which in turn can help your phone run faster and more efficiently.
