Phone Slow After the Update? 10 Fixes That Work (2026)

You updated your phone expecting it to feel fresh and new. Instead it feels sluggish, apps take longer to open, and everything’s a bit laggy. It’s a common and genuinely annoying experience.

Here’s the reassuring part first: some slowdown in the first few days after an update is completely normal, and it usually sorts itself out. Your phone is busy rebuilding things in the background. But if the sluggishness sticks around longer than that, these ten fixes will get your speed back.

This works for both Android and iPhone. Start at the top and work down.

First, Is This Normal?

Before you worry, understand what’s happening right after an update.

When your phone updates, it spends the next few days working hard in the background — re-indexing files, re-optimizing apps, and re-downloading data. All of that uses processing power, which can make the phone feel slow temporarily.

Give it 24 to 48 hours. Keep it charged, connected to Wi-Fi, and let it settle. A lot of the time, the slowdown disappears on its own once this background work finishes. If it’s been longer than a couple of days, then it’s time to work through the fixes below.

Note: Slowdown in the first day or two after an update is expected and usually temporary. The fixes below are for when it lasts longer.

Fix 1: Restart Your Phone

The simplest fix, and often the most effective. A restart clears out stuck background processes left over from the update.

Steps:

  1. Hold the power button
  2. Tap Restart, or power off and on again
  3. Let it fully start up before using it

If your phone has been on since the update finished, this alone can make a real difference. It’s always worth doing first.

Fix 2: Give It Time to Settle

If you’ve just updated, the best fix is sometimes patience.

Leave the phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi overnight. This gives it the quiet time it needs to finish re-indexing and re-optimizing everything in the background. Many people wake up to a phone that’s back to full speed, without doing anything else.

It feels like doing nothing, but you’re actually letting the phone finish the job the update started.

Fix 3: Update Your Apps

After a system update, your apps often need updating too. An app built for the older version can run poorly until it’s updated to match.

Steps:

  1. Open the Google Play Store or the App Store
  2. Go to your apps or profile
  3. Tap Update all
  4. Let them all finish

Outdated apps are one of the most common reasons a phone feels slow after an update, and this fixes it directly.

Fix 4: Clear App Cache (Android)

Old cache from before the update can conflict with the new system and slow things down. Clearing it is safe and often helps.

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps
  2. Tap an app that feels slow
  3. Tap Storage → Clear cache
  4. Repeat for your most-used apps

This won’t delete any of your data — just the temporary files, which the app rebuilds fresh to match the new system.

Fix 5: Free Up Storage Space

A phone low on storage always runs slowly, and updates take up extra room. If you’re nearly full, that could be the whole problem.

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings → Storage
  2. Check how much free space you have
  3. Clear cache, delete old downloads, and offload photos to the cloud
  4. Aim to keep several GB free

A phone with breathing room in its storage runs noticeably faster than one that’s nearly full.

Tip: We’ve got a full guide on freeing up space when your storage is full but there’s “nothing to delete” — it covers all the hidden space.

Fix 6: Check for Another Update

If an update introduced a bug, the maker often releases a quick follow-up fix. Being one version behind can mean living with a problem that’s already been solved.

Steps:

  1. On Android: Settings → System → Software update
  2. On iPhone: Settings → General → Software Update
  3. Install anything available

Companies push out small patches after big updates all the time, precisely to fix performance issues people report.

Fix 7: Turn Off Background App Refresh

Apps refreshing in the background use processing power and can slow an already-busy phone. Reining them in helps.

On iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh
  2. Turn it off entirely, or just for apps that don’t need it

On Android:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps
  2. Tap an app, then Battery
  3. Restrict background activity for apps you don’t need running constantly

Focus on apps you rarely use. There’s no need for them to be working away in the background.

Fix 8: Reduce Animations

Animations are the visual effects when you open apps and switch screens. Turning them down makes the phone feel snappier, especially on older devices.

On Android (needs Developer Options):

  1. Go to Settings → About phone and tap Build number seven times
  2. Go back to Settings → System → Developer options
  3. Set the three animation scales to 0.5x or off

On iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Motion
  2. Turn on Reduce Motion

This doesn’t make the phone faster underneath, but it makes it feel much more responsive.

Fix 9: Free Up RAM by Closing Apps

Too many apps open at once can bog down the phone. Closing the ones you’re not using frees up memory.

Steps:

  1. Open your recent apps view
  2. Close apps you’re not actively using
  3. Don’t obsessively close everything — just the heavy ones like games and video apps

A word of balance: you don’t need to close every app every time. Modern phones manage memory well. But clearing out a pile of heavy apps does help when things feel sluggish.

Fix 10: Reset Settings as a Last Resort

If nothing else works, resetting your settings clears any misconfigured options from the update, without deleting your photos, apps or files.

On Android:

  1. Go to Settings → System → Reset
  2. Choose Reset all settings, not factory reset

On iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset
  2. Choose Reset All Settings

This keeps all your personal data. It only resets things like Wi-Fi passwords and display preferences, so you’ll need to reconnect to networks afterwards.

Note: Reset All Settings is safe and keeps your data. A full factory reset, which erases everything, should only ever be a genuine final resort — and back up first if you go that far.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my phone slow after a software update? Right after an update, your phone works hard in the background re-indexing and re-optimizing, which slows it temporarily. This usually clears within a day or two. If it lasts longer, outdated apps, old cache or low storage are the common causes.

Is it normal for a phone to be slow after an update? Yes, for the first 24 to 48 hours. The phone is finishing background tasks the update started. Keep it charged and on Wi-Fi and it usually returns to normal on its own. Longer than that, and the fixes above will help.

How do I make my phone faster after an update? Restart it first, update all your apps, clear app cache on Android, and free up storage. Those four fix most cases. Reducing animations and background app refresh also makes it feel snappier.

Should I factory reset my phone after an update? Not as a first step. Try everything else first, including Reset All Settings, which keeps your data. A full factory reset erases everything and should only be a genuine last resort, with a backup done first.

Will clearing cache speed up my phone? Often, yes. Old cache from before the update can conflict with the new system. Clearing it is safe, doesn’t delete your data, and frequently resolves post-update sluggishness.

How long does a phone stay slow after an update? Usually no more than one or two days while background tasks finish. If it’s still slow after that, something specific is causing it, and the fixes in this guide will address it.

Does a low battery make my phone slower after updating? Some phones slow performance to save power when the battery is low or worn. Keeping it charged during the settling-in period after an update helps it run at full speed.

Can updating my apps fix a slow phone? Yes, very often. Apps built for the older system version can run badly until updated to match the new one. Updating all your apps is one of the most effective fixes after a system update.

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