Phones don’t always run at peak efficiency, sometimes you have to step in and lend a helping hand.
If you’re suffering from slow internet on an Android phone then there are a few ways you can speed things up. None of these will turn your 3G phone into a 4G powerhouse, but at the very least you could cut down on your browser’s load time or even fix a lag issue that seemingly appeared out of nowhere and never went away.
Before you start, make sure you’re not connected to a WiFi network and that Mobile Data is turned on. To turn on Mobile Data, access your Quick Settings and make sure it is highlighted. You can also go to the regular Settings menu and turn it on from there.
Clear your app cache
Apps and services slowly build up caches that, in time, can eat up precious system resources. Ours is in pretty good condition because, thanks to a steady flow of review units, we rarely have a single phone for more than a month. You, on the other hand, may have built up megabytes of cached data in multiple apps.
You can go through and clean them all out individually, or you can download an app to tackle it all at once.
To do it manually, go in to Settings and then toApplications. Select an individual application that you use often, like your browser or a news reader, and find the Clear Cache button. Do this for all of your most-used apps.
If you’d like to do it all at once, you can download a cleaning app like App Cache Cleaner, which has a Clear All option.
Check network settings
If you're having consistent trouble with web speeds, then your settings may need checking. Go into Settings and find Mobile Network Settings. The precise name of the menu will vary from device to device, so have a look around. You need to make sure that your phone is connected to the correct kind of network and that it hasn’t been restricted to 2G or 3G only.
Most areas in the world run onGSM/WCDMA/LTE networks, so give these a try first. If they don’t work try looking up what your region uses. Some phones have the option to find networks automatically, which is always a bonus.
The main thing you need to check is that your phone’s best broadband technology is activated.
- If you��re a 4G LTE handset owner then make sure it's turned on.
- If you use 3G then make sure there’s something other than GSM or CDMA active (WCDMA is fine, that’s a form of 3G).
Disable or uninstall unused apps and widgets
Most apps and widgets are relatively benign, but some use up a tonne of data while they run in the background. A great is example if Facebook.
The first step is to remove any widgets from your home screens that you don’t use. These are usually the biggest offenders and are easy to ditch. Just tap and hold on the widget and drag it up to the Remove icon at the top of the screen. This will not delete the app from your phone but merely remove the widget from the home screen and make it inactive.
To totally delete an app you need to enter the Applications Menu. From within here the procedure can vary from device to device. Sometimes you can just tap and hold, but usually you have to find the menu button and hit either Edit or Delete Apps.
Some apps cannot be deleted. These apps are placed on your phone by the manufacturer, by Google or by your carrier. These you’ll unfortunately have to leave to their own devices.
Install an Ad Blocker
Many website and app owners will hate us suggesting this, but the truth is that ads use up a lot of resources. Not just processing power, but they chew through a bunch of your mobile data each month too. Finding a good ad blocking solution on Android is tough, but there is an ad blocking web browser. You will use this instead of your default web browser and it will keep your webpages ad-free. Find the AdBlock Browser by searching for it on the Google Play store.
source: https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/speed-up-internet-on-your-android
