How to Fix iPhone Running Slow

More often than not, your iPhone runs slow because of underlying issues like storage or software problems. In other cases, your iPhone’s performance may decline due to battery health or the age of the device.

You can’t always pinpoint the exact issue, but you can apply fixes to improve your phone’s performance.

Whether it’s tweaking settings, clearing storage, or other hacks, there are many ways to boost your iPhone’s performance. In this guide, we’ll show you easy and tested methods you can try to fix your iPhone running slow.

How to Troubleshoot Common Issues for iPhone Running Slow

We have categorized our troubleshooting methods by the common issues that lead to iPhone performance slowdown. Within each category, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to fix an iPhone running slow.

1. Network Lag

Sometimes, it’s not your phone that’s the problem but simply your internet connection. This might be the case if you notice sluggishness when you’re browsing the web or using internet-dependent apps while your offline apps are running smoothly.

Here’s how to determine if your iPhone being slow is due to poor network connectivity and how you can optimize your network settings and connectivity:

• Verify your network connection. Make sure that you are connected to a stable network (preferably a Wi-Fi connection). You can also try to connect to another network (hotspot or mobile data) to see if the problem still exists.
• Reset your network connection. If the issue persists, try to reset your Wi-Fi connection itself.

2. App Crashes and Freezes

Closing unresponsive apps and checking the running background processes is important to free up your device’s resources and improve its responsiveness. While the latest iPhones, like the iPhone 15 series, may encounter app crashes less frequently, older phones are more prone to these errors.

Here are some tips to close unresponsive apps and prevent your apps from experiencing crashes or freezes as much as possible:

• Close your apps after use. Make sure to close your apps after using them to avoid clogging your phone’s memory by doing the following
  • For devices without a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom of your screen to the middle to reveal the opened apps in the background. Then, swipe up to close the apps you’re not using anymore.
  • For devices with a Home button: Double-click the Home button to display your recent apps. Then, swipe up to close the unused ones.
• Check for app updates. Some apps running slow on iPhone may lack the latest updates from the App Store. If you notice the laggy performance is app-specific, consider checking for and installing available updates.
• Reinstall your buggy app. Instead of updating your existing app, you can uninstall and reinstall it to see if this fixes the issue. Note that uninstalling an app deletes all its app data and cache.

3. Full Storage

One of the most common culprits for an iPhone running slow is full storage. Your iPhone needs enough storage to run both its apps and its necessary background processes. Running your device on low storage for an extended period of time can significantly affect its performance.

You can check how much free storage you have left by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Aside from remaining free storage, you will also see what files are occupying your iPhone storage.

Clear your app cache

An app cache is a form of temporary data that helps an application run faster every time you open it. This data accumulates in the background over time as you use more and more apps. This may cause your storage to fill up, preventing your device from running smoothly.

Since iPhones do not have native app cache management settings, we rely on each app’s settings for this feature. However, not all apps have cache-clearing options. If an app has this feature, you can usually find it in the app’s settings.

For this example, we use the Facebook app’s Settings to clear its app cache. To do this, go to the Facebook app’s Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Browser. Next, tap the Clear button on the right side of Your browsing data to clear the app’s cache.

Clear browser cache

Browser cache also contributes to the overall storage on your iPhone. If you have multiple browsers, you need to clear the cache for each of them. In this example, we’re clearing the browser cache for Safari:

1. On your iPhone, open the Settings app. Then, scroll down to find and tap on Safari.
2. Under the Safari settings, select Clear History and Website Data.
3. Once the Clear History pop-up appears, tap the Clear History button to confirm deletion.

Delete unnecessary apps/Offload rarely used apps

Apple enables you to choose between deleting or offloading your app to optimize your storage and improve your device’s performance. Choose to delete your app if you want to remove all its data (including saved passwords, preferences, etc.).

On the other hand, choose to offload your app if you still intend to use it again in the future. Offloading your app frees up the space the app occupies while retaining the app data so you can pick up where you left off once you reinstall the app.

You can find these options under Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Under iPhone Storage, select the app you want and tap Delete App or Offload App.

Delete old messages

While not occupying significant storage, your phone might still feel the weight of piled-up SMS texts and iMessages over time. To avoid this, delete your old messages by doing the following:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Tap Edit in the upper-left corner of the screen, then tap Select Messages.
   
   
3. Tap the circles next to the conversations you want to delete to select them.
4. Next, tap “Delete” in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
   
5. Confirm that you want to delete the selected conversations by tapping “Delete” again.

Upload your photos on iCloud

If you’re subscribed to iCloud, you can enable the Optimize iPhone Storage feature to free up your iPhone storage. This option uploads your media files from the Photos app to the cloud while retaining a smaller copy of your photos and videos.

This way, you reduce the storage consumed by your media files while still having access to them on your device.

Enable Optimize iPhone Storage by going to Settings > Photos and selecting Optimize iPhone Storage.

Clean up the Files folder

If you often download files on your iPhone, you also have to consider checking the Files app for content to declutter. The Downloads folder stores all your downloaded files by default.

Aside from the downloaded content, you can also check the rest of your folders in the Files app for any file you can delete.

4. Battery Health

Apps and background processes require battery power to run smoothly. If your battery health becomes critically low, these processes might become hindered, resulting in your iPhone getting slow.

Your iPhone battery health naturally decreases as you use your phone. However, there are iPhone habits you can adopt to slow down battery deterioration. Here are some tips to maintain your battery’s health:

• Regularly check your battery health. To make sure your current phone habits are not damaging your battery health, practice regularly checking the battery health percentage by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. This shows the current battery health percentage as well as your charging habits.
• Lower screen brightness. You can help your phone conserve energy by reducing the screen brightness under Settings > Display & Brightness.
• Disable Low Power Mode. Low power mode disables some processes and lessens animations to conserve battery power. However, it may disrupt some background tasks, affecting your device’s performance. If your battery icon is yellow, Low Power mode is enabled. Turn off Low Power mode by going to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode.

5. Overheating

If your iPhone overheats, it puts your device at risk of deterioration. Extreme temperature conditions can reduce battery health, drain battery charge, slow down your phone, or, in worse cases, be the cause of your iPhone running slow.

Your iPhone might overheat due to excessive usage, running resource-heavy apps, or direct sun exposure, among other reasons.

Here’s what you can do to lessen the chances of overheating your device:

• Avoid direct sunlight exposure.
• Remove the phone case to let the heat out.
• Close apps when not in use.
• Turn off features when not in use. These features include GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airdrop, and other functions.
• Turn off background refresh by going to Settings > General > Background Refresh.

6. Screen Responsiveness

Screen responsiveness may also be the reason for your iPhone acting slow. Some usage habits, such as letting dirt or oil build up on your screen, may affect its touch functions. Here are some easy tips you can apply to avoid this:

• Monitor your screen for any physical damage.
• Remove or replace your screen protector if you notice a significant decrease in screen responsiveness after applying one.
• Refrain from touching your screen with dirty hands.
• Regularly clean your screen using a microfiber cloth to avoid any damage.
• Avoid any moisture buildup, not just on the screen but also in any holes or ports on your device.

Additional Ways to Fix iPhone Running Slow

If none of the above methods worked for you, here are two more easy fixes for an iPhone running slow: restarting your iPhone and updating iOS.

Try Restarting iPhone

Restarting your iPhone clears and refreshes its memory, closes all background apps, and resolves minor software glitches, all of which can improve your device’s performance. Here’s how you can reset your iPhone:

• For newer iPhones without the Home button: Press and hold either of the volume buttons together with the side button until the slider to turn off the device appears. Then, drag the slider to turn off your iPhone.
• For older iPhones with the Home button: Press and hold the side button until the slider appears. Then, drag the slider to turn off your device.
• For all models: Go to Settings > General > Shut Down. Then, drag the slider to the right.

Update iOS

An outdated software may cause iOS running slow on your iPhone. By keeping your iPhone’s operating system updated, your device will receive any performance improvement features packed with the latest software updates.

Here’s how you can check and install OS updates:

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. This allows your device to check for available updates.
   
2. If there are any pending updates, follow the onscreen instructions for the installation. Make sure you have sufficient battery charge and are connected to the internet for the process to successfully finish.