My phone is slow or keeps freezing

A phone that is slow or freezes is usually short of storage, waiting for an update, or has an app that is misbehaving. Most causes can be fixed without losing anything.

Quick fixes to try first

• Restart the phone. Hold the side or power button until the slider or menu appears, then restart or switch off, and turn it back on.
• Close the app that is causing trouble and open it again.
• Check for waiting updates, for the phone and for its apps.
• Make sure you have free storage, as full phones slow down.

Step by step

1. Update your apps: use the App Store on iPhone or Play Store on Android, and look for pending updates.
2. Update the phone itself. iPhone: Settings, then General, then Software Update. Android: open Settings and look for Software update, which may be under System or About phone.
3. Check storage: iPhone Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage. Android: Settings, then Storage.
4. Remove apps you do not use.
5. If one app keeps freezing, delete it and install it again from the official store. Check first that you will not lose anything stored only inside it.

If it keeps happening

• Note whether it happens only on one app, or all the time.
• An old phone may no longer cope with newer apps, and might have stopped getting updates.
• Do not install "cleaner" or "booster" apps. They often cause problems or show lots of adverts.

When to get more help

Stop and ask for help if the phone will not restart, is stuck on the logo, freezes several times a day, or gets hot. A factory reset wipes everything, so please back up first and speak to us before you try it. Tell us the make, model and when the problem started.