With the launch of Apple iPhone 15 around the corner, owners of older iPhones are bracing for their devices to slow down – but there are some tricks to counter the dreaded slowdown.
The current status quo of smartphone design, repair & longevity could finally be upended in favour of users – & the planet.
That is the message from campaign groups on the landmark overhaul of rules concerning batteries & eco-sensitive design working their way through the various legislative bodies of the European Union – a market big enough to force manufacturers to change, even if EU rules don’t directly apply to other regions.
In 2020, Apple faced fines and a $115 million settlement over a ‘batterygate’ intentionally slowing down older phones.
Here are five ways to speed up your iPhone:
- Stop apps slowing your phone down
Today’s iPhones contain more apps than ever before – & if you’ve installed lots, they could be slowing your device down. It is an easy hack for speeding up your old iPhone.
Go into your Settings > General > Background App Refresh & select Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi & Cellular Data, or Off to stop Background App Refresh entirely.
This simple fix means that iPhone users can change their settings to automatically control & stop apps running in the background; allowing the phone to run smoother.
- Check your battery health
Your iPhone speed might be due to an issue with the battery. Even newer batteries can malfunction if they’re defective or have been over-used.
If you are using iPhone 6 or later (with an up-to-date version of iOS):
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to view your battery’s maximum capacity.
- Check peak performance
There is another statistic buried in iPhone’s menus which it’s well worth checking out.
‘Under the ‘Battery Health’ segment, it’s also worth taking a look at ‘Peak Performance Capacity.’
This particular metric offers valuable information about the battery’s performance status, showing if the battery is operating correctly or not.
- Eliminate your iPhone memory
Slow iPhone performance can stem from limited storage capacity, with full or nearly full storage resulting in reduced available memory & impacting CPU performance, which slows your phone down.
- The nuclear option
If your phone is not responding to the other tips, restore it to its default settings.
This can clear out ‘hidden’ data which could be slowing your device. For a more thorough storage clear out, firstly create a backup of your phone data. Then, restore the device to its default settings before reapplying the backup.
This process removes cached data and clears the phone’s ‘other’ storage. Alternatively, uninstall & then reinstall specific apps.
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