Does it take too long for your phone to do stuff? Are you thinking about replacing it sooner or later? They say that it’s worth holding on to the ones you love. And don’t just let go of your phone just yet. Maybe it just needs a little bit of love just to make it work as if brand-new.

Here are the cheap tricks and hacks to speed up your phone.

Update the OS

The first thing that might solve the problem of your laggy phone is to update to the latest version of Android. Android continuously upgrades their OS to make it less demanding on the CPU but better functionality. Go to your setting and check if there is a newer version of Android available for your device.

Clear Widgets

As much as you’d like to place widgets in order for your homescreen to look cool and alive, these widgets eat great CPU usage. Too many widgets running in the background can cause your phone to slow down since it not only demands functionality but on animations as well.

Use a Custom ROM

If Android updates don’t satisfy your needs, you can always rely on custom ROMS and make your phone function the way you like. However, this trick is risky and tricky, and you might want to help a phone rooting expert in order to make this work without fail.

Custom ROMS will let you install mods built by Android to provide better performance and allow you to switch between Android version and test which one works faster on your phone.

Force GPU Rendering

There is another trick up Android sleeves that give you the option to let CPU have a breathing space. Force GPU rendering will use your phone’s processing unit. Resulting in faster UI rendering, smoother animation, and frees up CPU from other processes. The downside is it drains battery life faster. But, who cares charging frequently if it provides better performance?

Use SKIA

Other than swapping to GPU rendering, you can also use SKIA. Many users reported that using SKIA reduces lag in games. However, it is not available in all Android version. This was only included in the Developer Options starting Nougat and above.

Clear cache

Another hidden Android feature that can make your phone slow over time is the cache. Cache data supposedly will make your phone faster since it saves previous data and negates the loading process for future use. However, leaving it unmonitored can cause problems to your Android phone. You can clear cache data in Storage option at the Settings Menu.

Don’t Auto-sync

Turn off auto sync features because this is only an additional process to your phone even if there is no more data to sync. The auto-sync feature keeps running in the background and frequently checks on updates. Disabling the feature won’t hurt. Moreover, it saves mobile data.

Cast it into the Fire

If your phone still shows no improvement after the rigorous tweaking, it just might be your phone telling you to move on. Your last hope is to perform a factory reset.

Android phones, just like all devices, have a limited useful life. If it reaches the peak of its deterioration, then it’s the best time to buy a new one.