How to Fix a Tablet Running Slow: Stop the Lag
Tapping an app icon only to stare at a frozen screen is a universal annoyance. You bought your tablet for speed and portability, yet lag turns simple tasks into patience tests.
Typing becomes a sluggish game of catch-up, and videos stutter right at the climax. This sluggishness usually stems from three specific culprits: completely full storage, overloaded system memory, or software that has fallen behind.
Immediate Quick Wins to Free Up Memory
Most performance hiccups stem from temporary issues rather than permanent hardware failure. Your tablet uses Random Access Memory (RAM) to juggle active tasks.
When this memory fills up with forgotten apps and system processes, the device struggles to open new items or switch screens. Before deleting files or changing settings, try these non-invasive steps to clear the mental clutter from the device.
Perform a Soft Reset
Many users rarely shut their tablets down completely. Pressing the power button usually only puts the device into “sleep mode,” which keeps the operating system and apps loaded in the memory to allow for a quick wake-up.
While convenient, this prevents the RAM from ever clearing out completely.
A full restart forces the device to drop all temporary data and reload the operating system from scratch.
- Android: Hold the power button until the “Restart” or “Power Off” option appears. Select Restart.
- iPad: Hold the power button and a volume button (depending on the model) until the slider appears. Slide to power off, wait thirty seconds, then turn it back on.
Close Background Applications
Apps often continue running even after you return to the home screen. They sit in a suspended state to help you pick up where you left off, but too many suspended apps can hog system resources.
- Open the recent apps menu. On Android, this is usually a square button or a swipe up from the bottom. On iPad, swipe up from the bottom edge and pause in the center.
- Swipe away individual app cards to close them.
- Some Android devices offer a “Clear All” button to dismiss everything at once.
Check Connectivity vs. Performance
It is easy to mistake a slow internet connection for a slow tablet. If a website takes forever to load or a video buffers constantly, the hardware might be fine while the Wi-Fi struggles.
To test this distinction, open an app that does not require an internet connection, such as the photo gallery or the calculator. If these offline apps open instantly and respond to your touch immediately, your tablet is healthy.
The issue likely lies with your router or internet service provider.
Reclaiming Storage Space and Digital Hygiene
Solid-state drives used in tablets operate best when they have breathing room. When storage capacity nears its limit, the operating system struggles to find space to write temporary files, causing significant slowdowns in read and write speeds.
Keeping a drive roughly 15% to 20% empty ensures the system runs smoothly.
Audit Your Storage
Stop guessing what is filling up your device and look at the hard data. Both iOS and Android provide detailed breakdowns of storage usage.
- Android: Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Storage.
- iPad: Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage.
You will see a color-coded bar showing exactly how much space is consumed by Apps, Photos, System Data, and Media. This visual aid helps you target the biggest offenders immediately.
Clear App Cache
Apps store temporary files called “cache” to load content faster. Over time, these files can become corrupted or simply grow too large. Social media apps and web browsers are notorious for hoarding hundreds of megabytes of cached images and videos.
- Android: Navigate to Settings > Apps. Select an app (like Chrome or Facebook), tap Storage, and select Clear Cache.
- iPad: iOS handles cache differently and often manages it automatically. However, clearing Safari browsing data in Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data can help. For other apps, uninstalling and reinstalling them is often the only way to clear their specific bloated data.
Offload Media and Large Files
High-resolution photos and 4K videos occupy massive amounts of space. Instead of keeping years of memories locally on the device, move them to a cloud service or physical storage.
- Cloud Services: Use Google Photos, iCloud, or Dropbox to back up media. Once verified as safe in the cloud, delete the local copies from the tablet.
- External Storage: If your tablet supports it, move media to a microSD card. Alternatively, use a USB-OTG (On-The-Go) drive to transfer files to a computer.
Uninstall Unused Apps
We often download apps for a specific purpose and then forget about them. These “zombie” apps sit idle, taking up storage space and potentially running background update checks. Go through your app drawer and be ruthless. If you have not opened a game or utility in the last three months, uninstall it. You can always download it again later if necessary.
Optimizing Software and App Behavior
Hardware serves as the muscle of your tablet, but the software acts as the brain. If the operating system is poorly optimized or if apps are allowed to run wild, the processor becomes overwhelmed.
Adjusting how the software interacts with the hardware can divert resources back to the tasks you are actually trying to perform.
Update the Operating System
Manufacturers release updates to patch security holes and optimize performance. Running an outdated version of Android or iPadOS can lead to compatibility issues that slow down apps.
Check your settings for software updates and install them.
However, there is a caveat for very old hardware. If your tablet is five or six years old, the latest operating system might be too demanding for its aging processor.
If your device is barely supported, research online forums to see if other users with the exact same model experienced slowdowns after updating.
Manage Background Activity and Syncing
Many apps are configured to constantly check for new emails, social media posts, or location data, even when the screen is off. This requires the processor to wake up frequently.
- Android: Go to Settings > Accounts and turn off “Auto-sync data” for accounts that do not need up-to-the-second updates. You can also restrict battery usage for specific apps in the App settings.
- iPad: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Turn this off globally or disable it for non-essential apps like games or streaming services.
Audit Widgets and Live Wallpapers
Live wallpapers look dynamic, and home screen widgets offer convenient information, but they are resource hogs. A live wallpaper forces the graphics processor to render animations constantly, while widgets ping the internet for weather or news updates in real-time.
To maximize speed, switch to a static, still image for your wallpaper. Remove any widgets you do not strictly need.
A clean, simple home screen requires much less processing power to display.
Scan for Malware (Android Specific)
Unlike iPads, Android tablets allow users to install apps from sources outside the official Google Play Store. This freedom comes with the risk of accidentally installing adware or malware.
These malicious programs run silently in the background, mining data or displaying ads, which cripples performance.
If you notice pop-ups appearing on your home screen or battery life draining unusually fast, download a reputable anti-malware tool like Malwarebytes from the Play Store and run a full scan. If malicious software is found, follow the app's instructions to remove it immediately.
Adjusting Visual and Accessibility Settings
Modern tablets prioritize visual flair. They use fluid animations, transparent overlays, and complex transitions to make the user interface look polished.
While these effects are pleasing to the eye, they tax the processor and graphics chip. By stripping away these cosmetic layers, you can significantly reduce the workload on your hardware.
This trade-off sacrifices smooth transitions for a snappier, more responsive feel.
Reduce Motion and Animations
One of the easiest ways to improve perceived speed is to disable the swooping and zooming effects that occur when opening or closing apps. Accessibility settings often include options to minimize these movements.
- iPad: Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and toggle on Reduce Motion. This changes the window zoom effect to a simple cross-fade, which is much faster to render.
- Android: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visibility enhancements (or similar menu depending on brand) and look for Remove animations. Turning this on strips away most unnecessary movement.
Enable Developer Options (Android)
Android devices hide a powerful menu intended for app developers. This menu allows you to control the speed of system animations with precision.
- Go to Settings > About Tablet.
- Find the Build Number entry and tap it seven times in rapid succession. You will see a message confirming that developer mode is enabled.
- Return to the main Settings menu (or System settings) and open Developer Options.
- Scroll down to the “Drawing” section.
- Find Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale.
- Change these values from 1x to 0.5x or Animation off.
Setting these to 0.5x makes the tablet feel twice as fast because menus and windows appear almost instantly rather than sliding into place.
Disable Bloatware
Many tablets come pre-loaded with manufacturer or carrier applications that you never asked for. Unlike standard apps, these often cannot be uninstalled normally.
However, you can stop them from consuming resources.
Navigate to Settings > Apps and select the unwanted pre-installed app. While the “Uninstall” button may be greyed out, you will likely see a Disable button.
Tapping this effectively turns the app off, hides it from your app drawer, and prevents it from running in the background.
The Nuclear Option and Hardware Assessment
If you have cleared your storage, updated your software, and reduced animations but still face significant lag, the problem likely runs deeper than simple clutter. You are now left with two possibilities: a corrupted operating system or hardware that has reached the end of its physical lifespan.
These final steps will help you determine if the tablet is salvageable.
Factory Reset
This is the ultimate cleanup. A factory reset wipes every photo, app, account, and setting from the device, returning it to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box.
This eliminates deep-seated software errors, corrupted files, and lingering malware.
Crucial Warning: You must back up all important data to the cloud or a computer before proceeding. Once the reset is complete, your data is unrecoverable.
- iPad: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Erase All Content and Settings.
- Android: Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).
After the reset, set the tablet up as a new device rather than restoring from a backup immediately. Test the performance for a few hours. If it runs smoothly, your old backup likely contained the problem.
Check Battery Health
There is a direct link between battery age and performance. As lithium-ion batteries degrade, they lose the ability to provide stable power during peak usage.
To prevent the device from shutting down unexpectedly, the operating system may intentionally slow down the processor. This is known as throttling.
- iPad: Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If the maximum capacity is below 80%, the battery is significantly degraded and might be causing performance drops.
- Android: Most Android tablets do not show battery health natively. You may need to download a third-party app like AccuBattery to get an estimate of the battery's remaining capacity.
If the battery is failing, replacing it can often restore the tablet's original speed.
Assessing Hardware Limitations
Sometimes, no amount of troubleshooting can fix the issue because the hardware is simply too old. Apps like Facebook, YouTube, and Chrome become more demanding with every update.
A processor that was considered fast five years ago may struggle to load modern web pages or run current app versions.
If you have performed a factory reset and the device still lags while doing basic tasks, you have likely hit a hardware bottleneck. At this stage, the cost of repairs or battery replacement often exceeds the value of the device.
It is likely time to retire the tablet and look for a modern replacement.
Conclusion
Restoring speed to a sluggish tablet is a process of elimination. You started by clearing temporary memory and closing background apps, then moved to freeing up storage space and refining system settings.
By systematically removing the bottlenecks that choke performance, most users can squeeze extra life out of aging hardware without spending a dime.
To keep this performance consistent, treat your tablet like a machine that needs regular tune-ups. Do not wait for the screen to freeze before taking action.
Restart the device fully once a week to flush the RAM. Audit your apps and photos monthly to keep storage open.
A little digital hygiene prevents the slow creep of lag from returning.
However, there is a limit to what software optimization can do. If you have wiped the device, updated the operating system, and replaced the battery, yet the tablet still stutters on basic tasks, you are likely fighting a losing battle against hardware limitations.
Modern apps require modern processing power. When a clean slate fails to fix the slowness, accept that the device has served its purpose and start looking for a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my tablet slow even though I have storage space left?
Storage is only one factor in overall performance. The main issue might be low RAM (Random Access Memory) because too many background apps are open. Old software or a degraded battery can also throttle performance regardless of how much free space you have available on the drive.
Will a factory reset make my old tablet run like new?
A factory reset wipes software clutter and removes corrupt files, which usually improves speed significantly. However, it cannot upgrade your physical processor or add more RAM. If the hardware is outdated, modern apps will still struggle to run smoothly even after a full reset.
Does replacing the battery speed up a slow tablet?
Yes, replacing an old battery can often improve performance. When a lithium-ion battery degrades, the operating system may automatically slow down the processor to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Installing a new battery allows the device to run at peak power without these software restrictions.
Do I need to install an antivirus app to stop lag?
iPads generally do not need antivirus apps due to their strict security, but Android tablets are more vulnerable. If you download apps from outside the Play Store, malware could be running in the background. A scan can help remove these hidden resource hogs.
How often should I restart my tablet to keep it fast?
You should fully restart your tablet at least once a week. Unlike sleep mode, a full restart clears the RAM completely and stops temporary processes that accumulate over time. This simple habit prevents memory leaks and keeps the operating system running efficiently.
About the Author: Julio Caesar
