How to Make Your iPhone Run Faster (Works for Any Model)

Is your iPhone feeling slow, laggy, or just not as snappy as it used to be? Whether you’ve got an older model or even a newer one that’s gotten bogged down, there are a bunch of simple ways to speed things back up. Here’s how to make your iPhone faster and smoother without needing a new device.

Check Your iPhone’s Storage and Free Up Space

Low storage can seriously drag your iPhone down.

  • Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage to see what’s eating up space.
  • Offload unused apps, delete old photos, videos, and clear out big Messages conversations.
  • Try to keep at least 1GB free for better performance.

Force Quit Unresponsive Apps

A frozen or buggy app can slow down your whole phone.

  • Double-click the Home button (or swipe up on newer iPhones) to view open apps.
  • Swipe up on any apps you want to force close.

Turn Off Background App Refresh

Apps constantly refreshing in the background can kill speed.

  • Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh.
  • Turn it off completely or selectively for apps you don’t need updating all the time.

Reduce Animations

Those fancy iOS animations look good but can slow things down.

  • Go to Settings → Accessibility → Motion.
  • Toggle Reduce Motion to ON.

Disable Location Services for Unnecessary Apps

Background location tracking uses a lot of power and can cause lag.

  • Go to Settings → Privacy → Location Services.
  • Turn off location access for apps that don’t need it.

Update Your Apps and iOS

Running outdated software can slow your iPhone.

  • Open the App Store and tap Updates to refresh your apps.
  • Go to Settings → General → Software Update to install the latest iOS.

Turn Off Automatic Downloads

Downloads happening in the background can hog resources.

  • Go to Settings → App Store.
  • Turn off Automatic Downloads for apps, music, books, and updates.

Restart Your iPhone

A quick restart can fix temporary slowdowns.

  • Press and hold the side button + volume button, or just the power button on older models, until you see the power off slider.
  • Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on.

Reset Network Settings

Network problems can cause lag too.

  • Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset.
  • Tap Reset Network Settings.

Check for Carrier Settings Update

Carrier settings affect how your phone connects to networks.

  • Go to Settings → General → About.
  • If there’s a carrier update available, you’ll get a prompt.

Replace an Old Battery

If your battery health is bad, your iPhone might throttle performance.

  • Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Health & Charging.
  • If Maximum Capacity is under 80%, it’s time for a replacement.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Heat or cold can affect your iPhone’s speed.

  • Try to keep your phone between 32°F and 95°F (0°C to 35°C).

Set a Longer Auto-Lock Time

Constantly waking your phone drains resources.

  • Go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock.
  • Set it to a higher time like 5 minutes or more.

Disable Home Screen Widgets

Widgets look cool but they constantly refresh in the background.

  • Long press the home screen.
  • Tap Edit Widgets and remove the ones you don’t need.

Use Low Power Mode for a Quick Speed Boost

Low Power Mode temporarily boosts performance by limiting background processes.

  • Open Control Center and tap the battery icon to enable it.

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