Why all Android smartphones lag - analysis of reasons and solutions

You open Instagramand the application freezes for 5 seconds. Switch between chats in Telegram —the interface twitches. Even just scrolling through your news feed turns into a test of patience. “Why all androids lag?” - millions of users ask themselves this question, regardless of the smartphone model: be it a flagship Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or budget Redmi Note 12.

The problem of brakes on Android is not new, but its scale is often exaggerated. The point is not that “all androids are bad” - but in the architectural features of the platform, manufacturer mistakes and our own usage habits. In this article we will analyze 7 key reasons for freezeswhich occur in 90% of cases, and give specific solutions - from basic to advanced. Without general advice like “clear the cache” (although we will tell you about this correctly).

1. Background chaos: why Android is “choking” on multitasking

Android is famous for its multitasking, but this is also its Achilles heel. Unlike iOS, where background processes are strictly limited, Android allows applications to run in the background with almost no restrictions —if the system is not configured correctly. Result: after a week of use, 30+ processes hang in the background, and the operating system spends resources on maintaining them.

How this manifests itself:

• 📱 Freezes when opening applications —the system “thinks” which one to bring to the foreground.
• 🔄 Jerky interface when scrolling - the GPU is busy rendering background tasks.
• 🔋 Overheating and rapid discharge - the processor is constantly loaded.

The solution lies in configuration Background restrictions (the path varies depending on the shell). For example, on MIUI it Settings → Applications → Manage applications → Autorun, and on pure Android — Settings → Applications → Special access → Optimization batteries. But be careful: turning off the background for instant messengers will lead to delays in notifications.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (for example, ColorOS ot Oppo), aggressive background restriction may break push notifications. Before setting up, check whether your application supports FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) —this guarantees delivery of notifications even with a limited background.

2. Memory degradation: why even 12 GB of RAM does not save you from slowdowns

Myth: “The more RAM, the faster the smartphone.” Reality: Android suffers from memory fragmentation —over time, free RAM blocks are “split” into small pieces, and the system has to spend resources managing them. This is especially noticeable on devices with LPDDR4X and older, where the memory controller is less efficient than in LPDDR5.

The situation is aggravated by:

• 🧹 "Smart" memory cleaners (type Clean Master), which forcefully kill processes, forcing them to restart again and again.
• 📦 Applications with memory leaks (common culprits: Facebook, TikTok, some launchers).
• 🔄 Frequent switching between heavy applications (for example, Genshin Impact → Chrome with 20 tabs).

How to diagnose the problem:

1. Install Simple System Monitor from F-Droid.
2. Open the usage graph RAM.
3. If free memory is less than 20% of the total volume, and the smartphone is slow, this is a sign of fragmentation.

3. Firmware and kernel: why updates sometimes worsen performance

Paradox: you update your smartphone expecting improvements, but after the update it starts to slow down more. This is due to:

• 🐛 Unoptimized assemblies from the manufacturer (especially important for budget brands like Realme or Infinix).
• 🔧 Changes in the Linux kernelon which Android is based (for example, switching to a new version kernel may conflict with old ones drivers).
• 📦 Bloatware (predinstalled apps), which is added with updates (for example, duplicate services Google and the manufacturer).

How to check Is the firmware to blame:

1. Go to Settings → System → Software update and look at the date of the last update.
2. Look on the Internet for reviews about this firmware version for your model (for example, "Redmi Note 11 firmware V14.0.2.0 lags»).
3. If there are massive complaints, try rolling back to the previous version (instructions are on the forums 4PDA or XDA-Developers).

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analytics

⚠️ Attention: Rolling back the firmware may block the bootloader on some devices (for example, Huawei or Google PixelBefore the procedure, check whether your model supports downgrade without data loss.

4. Storage on the edge: how flash memory kills speed

Even if you have 50 GB of 128 free, types of memory and its condition directly affect performance. data-i="134">: cheap memory NAND flash: cheap memory eMMC 5.1 (in budget smartphones) 3-5 times slower UFS 3.1 (in flagships). But even UFS problems arise over time:

• 📉 Data fragmentation —files are “scattered” across memory cells, and the system has to spend time assembling them.
• ⚡ Cell wear —after ~1000 rewrite cycles, the read/write speed drops (critical for devices older than 3 years).
• 🗑️ Junk files —cache, thumbnails, logs, which take up space and slow down storage scanning.

How to check the health of memory:

1. Install AIDA64 and look at the section Storage → Health status.
2. If parameter Reallocated Sector Count more than 10 - memory degrades.
3. For the speed test, use AndroBench (norm for UFS 3.1: reading > 1000 MB/s, writing > 500 MB/s).

Delete application cache in Settings → Storage

Move photos/videos to an SD card or cloud

Disable automatic media downloads in instant messengers

Run Trim (TRIM) via SD Maid (root required)

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5. Overheating: when thermal throttling chokes the processor

If your smartphone heats up above 45°C, Android automatically reduces the processor frequency (thermal throttling) to prevent damage. This leads to sharp drops in FPS in games, delays when opening applications, and even spontaneous reboots. The main reasons for overheating:

• 🔥 Bad thermal paste (relevant for devices older than 2 years).
• 🎮 Games with high load on the GPU (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile).
• ☀️ Use in the sun or in the car (even 30°C outside can be critical).
• ⚡ Fast charging (especially on cheap cables without support Quick Charge).

How to diagnose:

1. Install CPU Throttling Test from Play Market.
2. Run the test - if the processor frequency drops below 50% of the maximum, then throttling is triggered.
3. Check the temperature through AIDA64 (critical: > 50°C for Snapdragon, > 45°C for Mediatek).

6. Viruses and malware: hidden “slowers”

Android is the most attacked mobile OS, and viruses do not always steal data: mine cryptocurrency, show hidden advertisements or send spam. Symptoms of infection: load the system with background tasks: they mine cryptocurrency, show hidden advertising or send spam. Symptoms of infection:

• 📈 Unexplained traffic consumption (check in Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Traffic usage).
• 🔋 The battery runs out in 3-4 hours without active use.
• 📱 Unknown applications appear (for example, com.system.update or com.android.providers with suspicious permissions).

How to check and clean:

1. Install Malwarebytes or Bitdefender (free versions are sufficient).
2. Run a deep scan (not fast!).
3. If the antivirus does not find anything, but suspicions remain, check the list of installed applications in Settings → Applications and remove suspicious ones (especially those with names in Chinese).
4. For advanced: use ADBto find hidden processes:

   adb shell ps -A | grep -i"suspic"

⚠️ Attention: Some “viruses” are actually system services of the manufacturer (for example, com.heytap.mcs on Oppo). Removing such processes may break the functionality of the smartphone. Always Google the name of the suspicious package before deleting.

7. Hardware limitations: when hardware can’t handle modern software

Even if your smartphone was top-end in 2020, today it may not be able to handle new versions of Android and applications. Manufacturers often Google frequently do not optimize software for older chips. For example: increasing system requirementswithout optimizing the software for older chips. For example:

• 📱 Android 13 officially supports Snapdragon 845 (2018), but in practice it works with lags due to the lack of drivers for new APIs.
• 🎮 Games like Honor of Kings require OpenGL ES 3.2+, which is not available on older Mali-G71 (for example, in Helio P60).
• 📸 Camera applications (such as GCam) may not run on processors without support Camera2 API.

What what to do if the hardware is outdated:

• 🔄 Install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience) - they are lighter than stock ones.
• ⚙️ Disable animations in Developer settings (Window animation scale = 0.5x).
• 📱 Use lightweight versions of applications (Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite, YouTube Go).
• 🔧 Replace thermal paste and clean the device from dust (this can give +10-15% performance).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about lags on Android