Why is iPhone So Slow? Speed Up iPhone with 18 Methods

“Why is my iPhone so slow?” It’s a common problem, yet there are many reasons that can be easy to miss for more casual users. Maybe it’s your battery, a particular app, or maybe even your internet connection.

Fortunately, there are ways you can improve iPhone performance but it really depends on why your device is slow to respond in the first place. Below, we’ll tell you all the reasons why it happens so you can diagnose your device and we’ll teach you how to fix it.

Reasons Why iPhone is Slow

There are many potential reasons why your iPhone is lagging. It’s important to identify the exact cause of the reduced performance in order to figure out how to speed up your iPhone.

To help you, we put together a table of all the common reasons why your iPhone is running slow as well as the links to the appropriate sections in the article. There, you’ll find more information about the specific issue and how to fix it.

How to Speed Up a Slow iPhone

“Speeding up” your iPhone is actually the process of fixing whatever is slowing it down. It’s an optimization, rather than increasing its capabilities. In other words, the *correct* way to improve your iPhone’s performance is to directly address the root problem with a specific solution.

In this section, we provided 18 different solutions that address every single possible issue that could slow your iPhone down.

Method 1: Check and Replace Your iPhone Battery

All batteries decay over time and can degrade faster depending on usage. Knowing this, Apple provides users with a feature called Maximum Capacity. This feature gives users a rough idea of the iPhone’s battery health relative to when it was new.

Info: This section applies to iPhones whose batteries degraded “naturally.” If you are experiencing battery problems on a brand-new iPhone, jump to Method 6.

To check your iPhone battery’s current maximum capacity:

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap Battery (you may need to scroll a bit).

Step 2. Tap Battery Health & Charging.

Step 3. Review your iPhone battery’s Maximum Capacity.

Based on iPhone recommendations, you should replace your battery at 80% Maximum Capacity – you may experience increasing shutdowns at lower percentages. We recommend having your iPhone serviced by Apple for battery replacement. A new battery can quickly fix a slow iPhone.

Method 2: Turn Off Performance Management

Back in 2017, Apple introduced the Performance Management feature. It was designed to prevent unexpected shutdowns, which could further damage the battery and the iPhone itself.

Shutdowns happen when a degraded battery isn’t able to provide enough power that the device demands. The iPhone wants to cut off the processor from drawing more.

We can turn off Performance Management in the Settings app.

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap Battery (you may need to scroll a bit).

Step 3. Tap Battery Health & Charging.

Step 4. There will be a toggle beside Peak Performance Capability if your iPhone’s battery is degraded. Tap Disable and confirm.

Method 3: Update iOS

If you haven’t updated iOS in a while, your device may be suffering from incompatibilities, bugs, and/or glitches. It’s likely that the new iOS version will resolve these issues.

To update your iOS:

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

Step 3. Tap Software Update.

Step 4. Your iPhone will generate the appropriate package for your device. If any updates are available, tap Download and Install.

Method 4: Update or Delete Problematic Apps

If your iPhone is slow and laggy only while a specific app is running, the app is likely the problem.

You can check if the app is running in the background when you experience performance drops. You access the App Switcher on the iPhone X by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Swipe left or right to view apps running in the background and swipe up the offending app to close it.

At this point, you have 3 choices: (1) try updating the app on the App Store, (2) try updating iOS (here’s a guide), or (3) delete the app and seek a replacement.

Method 5: Clear and Maintain iPhone Storage

Having free storage space on your device can improve performance in both direct and indirect ways. Directly, having available storage space allows iOS to store temporary files, which apps like Safari use to load faster.

Indirectly, ensuring your device has enough space to download and install the latest iOS means that you get the latest upgrades and bug fixes, which could also affect performance just as much.

To help you manage storage space on your iPhone, here are some tips:

• Review your local and iCloud storage in the Settings app.
• Manage your storage using Finder or iTunes on your Mac.
• Clear apps, photos and videos, files, and mail and message attachments you don’t need.
• Use storage management apps.
• Use iPhone cleaner apps to organize your camera roll and purge unwanted photos and videos faster

Method 6: Check Your iPhone’s Apple Service Coverage

If you are experiencing performance issues on a brand new iPhone due to your battery (steps to diagnose it here), you may be eligible for Apple service. It’s possible that your device has a factory defect. You can check your coverage on Apple’s My Support page.

Method 7: Wait for the Update to Finish

Just finished updating iOS? Put your phone down and go for a walk (or just do something else). If your iPhone is slow after an update, it just needs to adjust to meet the demands of the new iOS. We suggest letting it rest for 30 minutes, then rebooting it.

Method 8: Check Your iPhone for Viruses

Viruses eat up various device resources including power, battery life, and even data. Most importantly, it can threaten your privacy and digital safety. Here are some signs that your iPhone is infected:

• Your iPhone is very slow
• Increased battery drain
• Pop-up ads and ads outside of browsers
• New apps that you don’t remember downloading
• Increased data usage

If you observe any or all of these symptoms on your iPhone, we suggest restoring it to factory settings. See the next section for step-by-step instructions.

Method 9: Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone can momentarily resolve performance issues by closing background apps and processes. However, as soon as those processes start up again, the lag will return. If this is the case for you, use the temporary boost to clean up old apps and files.

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

Step 2. Scroll all the way down to the bottom and tap Shut Down.

Step 3. Use the slider to proceed with the shutdown.

Once your iPhone is fully shut off, turn it on again and check if performance has improved.

Method 10: Turn Off Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode is an iPhone feature that helps conserve your battery by adjusting its settings to reduce consumption. This includes reducing the speed of the processor, which will slow down your iPhone.

This method will make your iPhone run faster, but remember that Low Power Mode is a precaution to avoid damage to the battery – this is because it’s harmful to continue drawing power when levels are low.

To disable Low Power Mode on your iPhone:

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap Battery – you’ll have to scroll down a bit.

Step 3. Disable Low Power Mode.

Method 11: Close Unused Apps

As we mentioned earlier in the article, having apps open in the background consumes precious resources that iOS needs to operate smoothly. Normally, iOS can cache apps that have been left running so they aren’t “fully” operational (as if you were actively using them), but certain issues )can prevent or delay this process (e.g. full storage).

Instead, make it a habit to close unused apps manually after you use them so you can quickly free up RAM for iOS system processes.

To close unused apps:

Step 1. Slowly drag your finger up from the bottom of the screen until the multitasking menu is displayed.

Step 2. Swipe left and right to browse through open apps. Locate the app you want to close and drag it up towards the top of the screen.

Method 12: Disable Background Apps

There are cases where apps that have been closed (by iOS or the user) are still running in the background. These apps use the iOS function called Background App Refresh, which allows them to continuously accomplish tasks on their own, even if they aren’t currently “open” on your iPhone.

If you have too many background processes going on, iOS will quickly run out of RAM and start to slow down. Fortunately, you can disable Background App Refresh for specific apps:

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

Step 2. Tap Background App Refresh. Locate the apps that you don’t want running in the background (make sure they aren’t functionally dependent on Background App Refresh, such as mail fetching). Then, slide the toggle beside them to the left (gray = off; green = on).

Method 13: Disable Visual Effects

Modern iOS deploys multiple visual effects throughout usage in order to make the interface more engaging. However, those effects can also slow down your device if it’s a bit older and has less RAM to throw around).

Fortunately, you can turn off one or all the visual effects you usually encounter on your device. We’ll show you how.

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap Accessibility.

Step 2. Tap Motion.

Step 3. Enable Reduce Motion. Then, disable whichever Auto-Play settings affect you the most. For example, you can disable Video Previews if you’re bothered by the lag caused by video attachments and links sent through the Messages app.

If you miss the visual effects, you can try re-enabling them one by one.

Method 14: Remove Your Widgets

Widgets are interactive elements on your iPhone that allow you to view or use an app’s functions directly from the home screen.

They’re useful and look great, but iOS has to use up CPU and memory resources to display and operate them. If you’re experiencing lag, especially on your iPhone’s home screen, get rid of your widgets for now.

Step 1. Tap and hold any widget. Then, tap Remove Wigdets in the context menu that appears.

Step 2. In the popup dialogue, tap Remove again to confirm the action.

You can also remove Stacks, which are essentially multiple widgets grouped together in a single space.

Method 15: Avoid Heat When Using Your iPhone

If your iPhone crosses a certain temperature threshold (a.k.a. if it gets too hot), iOS may throttle device performance until it cools off. iOS wants the device to stop producing more heat in order to protect its system components and prevent errors.

Here are a few tips to help you keep your iPhone in the safe temperature range, especially during intensive activities like gaming:

• Remove your iPhone case while using your device heavily
• Use your iPhone directly in front of an electric fan
• Turn off utilities like Bluetooth, location services, AirDrop, and mobile data/wifi (depending on which one you need)
• If outside, avoid using your iPhone heavily (e.g. gaming) under direct sunlight

Method 16: Disable Location Services When Not Needed/Not Available

If you’re in an area with few cellular towers and you have Location Services enabled, you may experience delays during your usage of certain apps while your iPhone repeatedly tries to catch a signal.

Aside from the literal delay you may experience on location-dependent apps while they try and fail to load, having your iPhone repeatedly connect and disconnect to signals forces it to use up more resources… Less available RAM, worse performance.

Overall, only enable Location Services when you really need it. Otherwise, it can cause additional strain on your battery and performance.

Step 1. Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.

Step 2. Tap Location Services.

Step 3. Disable Location Services for all apps by tapping the toggle button beside Location Services until it turns white/gray.

You can also enable Location Services for certain apps only – but we recommend keeping it off if you’re hurting for performance primarily.

Method 17: Reset All Settings

Reset All Settings is an iOS feature that restores all your iPhone’s settings to default. This includes settings related to your network, location, privacy, Apple Pay, and more. It doesn’t delete any personal data so it’s not as comprehensive as a Factory Reset, but it can resolve software conflicts (which likely contribute to your iPhone’s performance drop) that crept in over time.

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

Step 2. Scroll to the bottom and open Transfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 3. Tap on Reset, then select Reset All Settings. Confirm if prompted.

Method 18: Factory Reset iPhone

If your iPhone has been infected by a virus, you can restore your device to factory settings to get rid of it. This is also a good method to help clean up unnecessary files on your iPhone – just make sure to back up your important data first.

To perform a factory reset on your iPhone:

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

Step 2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 3. Finally, tap Erase All Content and Settings.

To proceed, follow the reformatting wizard that will appear on your device.

What to Do if Internet is Slow on iPhone

If only your internet is slow on your iPhone, there’s likely an issue with your network. Below are some tips to get your iPhone’s internet speed back to normal (or improve it from its current state).

• Turn off VPN: Depending on your settings, VPNs may route your network through servers in different countries – which could be why the internet on your iPhone is loading slowly.
• Adjust your Router: If your iPhone is slow on WiFi and you’re using your device far from your router, try moving (yourself or it) closer. Distance affects signal strength and may also indirectly cause interference – these factors impact your device’s performance.
• Check your network plan: It’s possible that your network plan supports a limited number of devices, and you’ve overloaded it. Check your online account or call your provider’s support line.
• Check provider issues: There may be issues with your network provider such as a temporary power outage or physical damage to one of their towers. You can usually find information on their website or by calling their support line.
• Reconnect your network: Your network settings may be corrupted or outdated. To reset it, open the Settings app > Wi-Fi and tap the i button beside your Wi-Fi network. Then, tap Forget This Network and confirm when prompted. Reconnect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network and test.
• Check for viruses: Viruses on your iPhone may be overloading your network by sending a lot of spam messages or emails or downloading more malware. See this section of the article for what to do.
• Factory reset your iPhone: A factory reset may help restore your internet speed by wiping out unnecessary/harmful settings, data, apps, and software-related issues that may be impacting performance. See this section for a quick guide.
• Turn off Low Power Mode: Turning off Low Power Mode will free up more resources for Wi-Fi-related tasks. Note that Low Power Mode exists to protect your device’s battery life – see this section for more information and steps on how to disable it.
• Disable iCloud sometimes: iCloud is super useful but it can certainly take up bandwidth while uploading your data to its servers.
• Disable automatic updates: iOS gives you the option to automatically download updates when available. Whenever this download occurs in the background, it uses up internet bandwidth. Disable that setting (Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates) so you can manually download updates when you’re ready.

Tips to Keep Your iPhone at Optimal Performance

Apple products, including iPhones, are known for longevity. You should still be able to get decent performance from your device, even years down the line (we know some users who still use an iPhone 4s!). Here’s what you can do to take care of your iPhone’s performance.

First, practice good storage hygiene. Review and purge photos, videos, apps, and other data regularly. Second, optimize your battery health-related habits. The most reliable rule of thumb is to ensure that your iPhone doesn’t overheat – that’s what kills the battery. Keep it out of direct sunlight and don’t charge it somewhere hot.

Finally, keep your device updated with the latest iOS. You can wait for a week or two to ensure all bugs are stamped out but upgrading iOS usually enhancements and bug fixes – both integral to performance.

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