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Is Your iPhone Suddenly Slowing Down & Lagging? Experts Explain Why And How To Fix This

March 27, 2024 by Lisa Cupido

 
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You’re chugging along with your iPhone in pocket, and all is fine. One day, out of the blue, you attempt to do something on your iPhone, only to find that it has slowed to a snail’s pace. Without warning, your phone refuses to load web pages, takes forever and a day to download apps, and isn’t in any rush to charge its battery, on top of it all. Does this sound familiar? Then you absolutely need to know why your iPhone is suddenly slow and lagging and what you can do about it — today, this minute — to get it back to its original speed and efficacy. 

Phone slowdown is annoying, but it isn’t all that uncommon. If it’s happening to you, experts explain why your phone could be lagging and what to do about it. 

Lack of Storage Space 

One of the biggest culprits behind a slower phone is a lack of storage space. Perhaps your space is being taken up by too many stored photos and videos. Or maybe you consistently stream media like podcasts and TV shows on your phone and consistently forget to delete them from your device. Your first step toward remedying this is to find out what’s taking up your storage space. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Check to see the amount of storage you’re currently using and then check which apps are taking up the most storage. You have the option of deleting apps or offloading them, which will help. You can also delete old media files and do the tough work of moving photos and videos into iCloud and deleting them from your phone. 

Software is Outdated 


Your phone can eventually begin to stall if your software is outdated. Software and app developers release new updates in an effort to iron our past problems and fix things like bugs. But if you aren’t updating iOS and apps when these updates are offered, you are putting your device in a more vulnerable position (it’s could even be more vulnerable to hackers). Go to Settings > General > Software Update and update iOS if needed. To check for app updates, go to App Store > tap on your profile icon at the top of the screen > scroll down to see if any apps need to be updated. If so, click on “update.” 

Cache and Browsing Data


Every time you scroll on Safari and visit websites, your browser accumulates data. If you never take a few minutes to clear out your cache and browsing data, if can be a little like leaving garbage to overflow in the trash can — ignoring it forever will result in negative consequences. For your phone, those consequences often include a slower device. Easily fix this by making sure you regularly clear cache and browsing data on your browser. Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced tab > Show Develop menu > click Empty Cache. Clear browsing data by heading to Settings > Safari > Select Clear Cookies and Data. 

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