Published Jan 13, 2026, 12:01 PM EST
Dev is a contributing tech author with over three years of hands-on experience testing, reviewing, and writing about consumer technology, with a deep focus on Android and its wider ecosystem. His journey with Android began with his first Samsung Galaxy device and has since evolved into a genuine passion for consumer tech.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, which shapes his analytical approach to technology. Dev has previously written for GadgetsToUse, where he focused on delivering practical, well-researched insights that help readers make informed decisions. He enjoys breaking down complex concepts into clear, actionable advice.
When he’s not exploring new gadgets or software features, Dev unwinds by binge-watching anime and flipping through recipe books, planning his next meal.
My Poco X6 Pro has been with me since early 2024. I purchased it the day after its launch and have been using it as my daily driver. It is a beast, rocking the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra, which is more than capable of handling my day-to-day tasks and heavy gaming. My usage has been intense, between gaming marathons, binge-watching anime, and apps with data and cache dumps that keep piling up.
With such heavy usage and so many apps, my device slowed down over time. It even started freezing while switching apps, or shut down on its own. I considered upgrading, but I had grown attached to my Poco X6 Pro. Instead, I changed these five settings that were hidden deep in the Developer's Options and settings menu. Once I changed these settings, my phone started feeling much snappier and faster.
Check background app services
Limit the number of apps/processes running in the background
Now, on most devices, I can access settings to manually turn off any app from running or relaunching in the background. Though this process is tedious, it gives me more control: I can let important apps, such as Google Maps, X, or email, run in the background and deny permissions to any other app.
Having said that, I opted for a much more direct approach that restricts background activity to just one app. For this, I enabled the Developer Options. Then, in the Developer options, I scrolled all the way into the app category, and there is an option to limit background processes. In this menu, I can allow a max of four apps at once, and there is also an option to just terminate all background activity. Since this approach was too extreme for me, I opted for the individual app restrictions. If I had a much older device, then this option would have been perfect.
Syncing all your data
Using multiple accounts to sync your data
The background syncing of our data also takes processing power, and having multiple accounts can make the device slow. This is because each of those accounts will sync every time there is new data on your phone. I primarily use Google Cloud storage for all my data. Although when I checked the account settings on my device, I found out that I had signed into Xiaomi and other accounts that were all syncing the same data.
So, I stopped the background sync for all the accounts except two. One stores all my personal data, and the other one is for work-related use. Doing this ensures that there is no overlapping data. All the while keeping the phone's background usage low.
Related
Clearing out unused apps and their data
Dumping unused apps and emptying out their caches
Although I got the 512GB variant, I filled it up fast with games, media, and apps. Any phone with maxed-out storage does slow down. This also takes a heavy toll on the RAM and impacts the phone's performance. There is an option to extend your RAM on Android. This feature uses the device's storage as RAM. Sadly, this feature does not boost performance but actually slows your phone even more. This is because the storage used in place of RAM is neither fast nor optimized.
So I uninstalled a bunch of apps I hadn't used in a while. One extra step that I took, and it made all the difference, is that I started clearing out the caches of the apps that I use a lot. This made the app size go down significantly. Also, for apps like Reddit or Pinterest, I simply clear out the app storage now and then.
Some file managers claim to clear out your device's cache files and remove all the clutter, but most of them are not transparent. That is why I ignore them, although I do use Files by Google, which gives me a clear overall understanding of my storage and which files are taking up a lot of space. There are open-source apps that can help you organize and manage your device's storage better.
Change the animation scale
Tweaking the transition and duration scale
Developer's settings have a lot to offer. I was able to restore my phone to the same level of responsiveness it had when I purchased it. Within the Developer's settings, there are options to alter the animation scale for windows and transitions. By default, the scale for both of these options is set at 1X; I changed it to 0.5X. I am glad I did that because now my phone animations and transitions across windows look much faster and cleaner. There are no delays whatsoever.
Restart and factory reset
Schedule a periodic turn-off for your device
The final trick is actually everyone's go-to option. Whenever their phone is frozen. Yes, I am talking about restarting your device. Regular restarts help in clearing out all the junk files and cache that build up over time. I have set up an auto turn-off for my Poco device using the settings on my device. Furthermore, I have custom-selected the time to match the time when I am in my bed, ready for some shut-eye. This helps me to reduce my screen time and also gives my device time to rest. For a much more thorough cleanup, I then backed up all my data and just opted for the factory reset. This ensured no hidden junk files or malware remained.
There are certain trade-offs
There are trade-offs, though. After I set a limit on the background app activity, there was significant reloading of apps. I can no longer resume from the exact point in the game where I left it. Furthermore, all the apps reload as soon as you return to them. In some cases, notifications get delayed. So there are some definitive downsides to enabling these settings. That said, I am comfortable with this trade-off. For me, speed and responsiveness take priority over multitasking.