Is your iPhone SE 3 (2022) lagging, freezing, or feeling unusually slow? Whether it’s sluggish when opening apps, scrolling, or typing, slow performance is frustrating — especially on a fairly new device. Thankfully, in most cases, it’s a software issue you can fix yourself.
Here’s how to speed things up and get your iPhone running smoothly again.
1. Close Background Apps and Restart Your iPhone
Too many background apps can overload your iPhone’s memory and processor.
To close all running apps:
- Double-press the Home button.
- Swipe up on each app to close it.
Then restart your iPhone:
- Press and hold the Side button until the power slider appears.
- Slide to power off.
- After a few seconds, press the Side button again to turn it back on.
This clears out cached data and resets system memory.
2. Turn Off Automatic Updates and Downloads
Auto-updates can quietly eat up processing power, especially if updates run in the background while you’re using the phone.
To disable auto-updates:
- Go to Settings > App Store.
- Under Automatic Downloads, toggle off Apps and App Updates.
Restart your phone afterward and check for improvement.
3. Free Up Storage Space
Low storage is a common reason why even new iPhones can feel slow.
Check your storage:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
Look for:
- Apps you rarely use
- Large message attachments
- Downloaded media you no longer need
Use the recommendations provided (like offloading unused apps) to free up space.
4. Install Pending iOS Updates
Apple often pushes performance fixes and optimizations in software updates.
To check for updates:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- If available, tap Download and Install.
Restart your device after updating to finalize changes.
5. Reset All Settings
If you recently changed some settings and your iPhone started lagging afterward, resetting all settings can help without deleting your data.
How to reset all settings:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset > Reset All Settings.
- Enter your passcode and confirm.
Your iPhone will reboot with default settings — but all your personal data and apps will remain intact.
6. Factory Reset as a Last Resort
If none of the above helps and the lag is still unbearable, you may need to erase everything and start fresh.
⚠️ Back up your iPhone first via iCloud or iTunes/Finder.
To factory reset:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Follow the prompts to reset your device.
After setup, test performance before restoring your backup — if performance drops again after restoring, the backup may contain corrupted data.
Bonus Tips:
- Slow only during internet use? Your Wi-Fi or data connection may be the real culprit.
- Lag in a specific app? Delete and reinstall that app — it may be corrupted.
- Still sluggish after everything? Use a third-party iOS system repair tool (like Reiboot or Dr.Fone) to fix stubborn bugs.
When to Contact Apple
If your iPhone SE 3 is still lagging after trying everything — and especially if the issue started after a drop or water exposure — hardware damage may be the cause. Visit an Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider to get it checked.