iPhones are hailed for their reliability and high levels of performance. But sometimes, your phone will perform slower.
You might see your phone performing slower as a sign that your device will need an upgrade soon. But the chances are you can fix the issue pretty quickly once you know what's causing it.
If you’re getting frustrated at how slow your iPhone has become, fear not. In this article, you’ll discover the reasons it’s doing so—and what you can do about it.
1. Outdated Software
One of the main reasons iPhones perform slower is when the software they’re running on is outdated. If you’ve used an Apple device that no longer receives iOS updates, you’ll know how frustrating things can get.
Before determining if software is causing your phone to perform slower, you’ll need to check for updates. To do this, follow the steps below.
- Go to Settings > General.
- On the General tab, click on Software Updates.
If your iPhone software is up to date, the message on your screen will reflect this. But if it isn’t, you’ll need to tap on the button allowing you to download the latest iOS version.
Downloading the newest version of iOS regularly may seem like a chore. However, it’s necessary for optimizing your phone’s performance and protecting against malware.
If you don’t want to download new updates manually, you can choose to make your phone do so automatically. In the Software Updates tab, you’ll find an option called Automatic updates; open this and turn on Install iOS Updates.
2. Low Storage
The longer we have our phones, the easier it is to eat up our storage space. Apps we no longer use, irrelevant pictures and screenshots on the camera roll, and messages from conversations better left in the past can all add up.
If your phone is still performing slowly on the latest version of iOS, insufficient storage space could be the culprit. Should you find that this is the case, decluttering your device is a good idea.
To see which apps are taking up the most space, you’ll need to reopen the Settings app. Once you’re there, go to General > iPhone Storage.
In this tab, you can review any large attachments taking up space in different apps. When you scroll down, you’ll also see how much each app uses on your phone.
3. You Could Have Malware
The chances of your iPhone getting malware are small, but it is possible, especially if you jailbreak your device.
Malware will make your phone use up more energy, so it’s unsurprising that your device may perform slower. If you suspect your phone has a virus, you should check out this article outlining how to check for malware on your iPhone.
If you’ve got malware on your phone, consider trying the following:
- Deleting any apps you do not recognize
- Updating your software
- Rebooting your phone
- Restoring your device to factory settings if everything you’ve tried doesn’t work.
4. Too Many Background Apps Running
Running apps in the background has some benefits: you can access them easier if you need them, and you also won’t need to click through to find the page you were previously on.
But having numerous apps open also has its downsides, too. Beyond eating your battery much quicker, having too many background apps running can also stop your iPhone from reaching its optimal performance.
If you think you’ve got too many background apps running, swipe to close the ones you’re no longer using. You might also want to consider limiting permissions, such as push notifications.
Another way you can stop apps you’re not using from damaging your iPhone’s performance is by only allowing them to use your location when in the app. You can toggle all of these in your phone settings.
5. Your Phone May Need Rebooting
It’s important to remember that sometimes, phones need a rest. When you use a device for hours each day and put it straight on charge at night, your iPhone works around the clock. Over time, this may impact your phone’s performance.
Though you may not attribute your phone’s poor performance to a lack of rest at first, it is something you should consider. If you’ve tried all of the steps above and your device still isn’t performing quickly, reboot your phone.
To reboot an iPhone press and hold the Side button or Sleep/Wake button with either Volume button. Then slide to power off.
In some cases, resetting your phone to factory settings might work. When you’ve navigated to Settings > General, scroll down to Reset.
After tapping on Reset, choose Erase All Content and Settings. Before doing this, it’s a good idea to back all of your content up.
6. Cold Weather
Sometimes, your phone’s performance might have nothing to do with anything on your device. The weather outside can also affect how well your phone works.
In general, iPhones can work without issues between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit (0 and 35 degrees Celsius). When the temperature drops below freezing, the weather may begin to slow down your phone.
If you live somewhere with harsh winters (or extreme summers, for that matter), you can’t do too much about this. And if moving somewhere with consistent temperatures year-round isn’t yet possible, you can try some of the following:
- Turn your phone off when you’re not using it in public. iPhones are a little sturdier in extreme temperatures when they’re not turned on.
- Only use your phone when you’re out of the elements.
- Buy a special case for extreme temperatures.
Fix Your Slow iPhone With These Tips
Using an iPhone that doesn’t perform as well as it should is frustrating. But dropping hundreds of dollars on a new device will only temporarily fix the problem because the chances are, you will eventually run into the same issues.
Before conceding that you need to get a new device, think about what might cause your iPhone to run slower.
Give all of these tips a try; if they don’t work, it may be time to upgrade. At the very least, you’ll have figured out how to check for issues with your iPhone before jumping to a conclusion.