Got lag?

[Golfdriver97]

Everyone gets lag once in a while. I have had a Pixel and a couple Nexus devices, and sure they get lag. But if you are reading this, you are probably wondering, 'What should I do to fix it?'

Here is a list of things that can be done....

1. Try a restart.

Or in the case of many Android devices, power down and restart it.

This being the least intrusive. What this does is kicks all apps out of RAM so the OS can start fresh. To a degree, most lag can be pinned to insufficient RAM for all open apps.

2. Try a cache clear.

You have a couple different ways to do this. One is in recovery, and the other is through settings. The process in recovery may be a better way to go as there is a reboot in the procedure.

This step honestly may or may not help, but, it is another process to try that isn't very intrusive, it's just a little time consuming.

Nexus instructions: https://forums.androidcentral.com/nexus-5-rooting-roms-hacks/352008-guide-nexus-5-recovery.html

(Note, the Pixel does not have a cache clear option in recovery.)

Samsung: https://forums.androidcentral.com/s...ing-into-recovery-mode-galaxy-s2-s3-tab2.html

HTC (possibly outdated): https://forums.androidcentral.com/h...-stock-recovery-htc-one-m8-3.html#post5500417

More on cache clearing: https://forums.androidcentral.com/a...-how-tos/558872-guide-bit-cache-clearing.html

3. Try resetting app preferences.

You may have a conflict between apps. This will remove all default selections, but nothing more. Once this is done, things like your preferred launcher will revert to the stock one, etc.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=848436

In all honesty, I wasn't sure if step 2 should be swapped with 3. I deemed 2 to still be less intrusive than 3, thus setting the order.

4. Monitor RAM usage.

In settings, you can monitor the memory used by apps. The app breakdown should show you what is using the most. You may review the app list, and remove any user installed apps that are no longer used. It may be possible that an app like Facebook is using too much RAM, or may have a RAM leak, and an alternate could be used. (Facebook is nefarious for not running well on Android.)

The above can be in several different places, depending on your device. Please confer with your device forum for additional help.

5. A Factory Reset.

As a last resort, go for a reset. I would also suggest setting your phone up as a new device on the setup screen. This way, you can add your apps slowly to see which ones kill your RAM.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/a...ta-reset-your-android-device.html#post4981900

Final thoughts.....

1. Depending on the age of your device and what OS version you are running, you may have insufficient RAM from a hardware standpoint. I am far from saying that you need a new device, but if your phone falls into this category, you should be aware that this will be an ongoing issue that none of the above steps will truly fix.

2. Android does like having RAM full. The overall purpose of this guide is not to help reduce RAM use to it's bare minimum, but to help reduce or even eliminate lag. One form of lag can be from the delay of the OS kicking something out of RAM to fire up what a user needs done. Unlike desktop Windows PCs, where having some unused RAM on standby can be a good thing, keeping RAM full helps reduce battery drain when swapping apps on a mobile device.

 

[billykac]

Everyone gets lag once in a while. I have had a Pixel and a couple Nexus devices, and sure they get lag. But if you are reading this, you are probably wondering, 'What should I do to fix it?'

Here is a list of things that can be done....

1. This being the least intrusive, try a restart, or in the case of many Android devices, power down and restart it.

What this does is kicks all apps out of RAM so the OS can start fresh. To a degree, most lag can be pinned to insufficient RAM for all open apps.

2. Try a cache clear. You have a couple different ways to do this. One is in recovery, and the other is through settings. The process in recovery may be a better way to go as there is a reboot in the procedure.

This step honestly may or may not help, but, it is another process to try that isn't very intrusive, it's just a little time consuming.

3. Try resetting app preferences.

You may have a conflict between apps. This will remove all default selections, but nothing more. Once this is done, things like your preferred launcher will revert to the stock one, etc.

In all honesty, I wasn't sure if step 2 should be swapped with 3. I deemed 2 to still be less intrusive than 3, thus setting the order.

4. In settings, you can monitor the memory used by apps. The app breakdown should show you what is using the most. You may review the app list, and remove any user installed apps that are no longer used. It may be possible that an app like Facebook is using too much RAM, or may have a RAM leak, and an alternate could be used. (Facebook is nefarious for not running well on Android.)

5. As a last resort, go for a reset. I would also suggest setting your phone up as a new device on the setup screen. This way, you can add your apps slowly to see which ones kill your RAM.


Final thoughts.....

Depending on the age of your device and what OS version you are running, you may have insufficient RAM from a hardware standpoint. I am far from saying that you need a new device, but if your phone falls into this category, you should be aware that this will be an ongoing issue that none of the above steps will truly fix.

Thanks for taking this on. Nice job too!

But, I was thinking of something easier, more direct, with instructions. Here's a strawman(person) outline:

__________________________________________________________

<Intro: one/two sentences de-fusing the "Samsung lag" thing: all devices can run into processing issues - nothing's immune, there are many points of lag/latency (app, wifi, ISP, destination server, etc.), similar to what you've done.>

1. Restart:
<link to instructions>

2. Clear cache:
<link to instructions>

3. Factory data reset:
<link to instructions>
Once reset, add your apps manually.


<If it's important to add more clever/creative fixes, I'd put them under a sub-heading, something like>

Additional Ideas

1. List the first, and provide link if possible.

2. ... and so on...

___________________________________________________________

I think if we can keep it super-simple with direct access to instructions, users will find it a very practical resource.

Then, we should all just point forum members to this Sticky every time a new post is made related to "Samsung Lag".

-bk

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thanks for taking this on. Nice job too!

Thank you very much. Been a while since I wrote up a guide.

But, I was thinking of something easier, more direct, with instructions. Here's a strawman(person) outline:

Made some modifications to my OP. I have requested the Co-Ambassador Team Leads to address the missing guide requests.

Then, we should all just point forum members to this Sticky every time a new post is made related to "Samsung Lag".

Thread stuck, however, please note that this is in the Ambassador guide section, a subdirectory of General help and how to.

 

[billykac]

Hey - looks better.

I am definitely a minimalist. I think what you have is helpful. To my eye, it could be more helpful if most of the narrative was removed. But again, that's just me.

If it were to be kept to just a few lines with links, a total of just a few inches in height on the page, you could post that minimal text as a "starter" on the Note 8 forum, asking for input. If someone has a great suggestion, reduce it down and add it to the group, maybe in sub-section.

Overall, I think there's really 3 things that people just don't know: All devices can experience lag.

... and just don't do:
- Restart
- Dump cache
- Factory data reset with manual installs

If that was posted, plain/simple, I think it be of great utility for the broadest audience.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[belodion]

There may sometimes be ways of addressing lag on specific devices. The LG G3, for example, was noted by some users to show lag. Various methods, root and non-root, were suggested. By enabling Developer Options you can set the Animations and Transition to lower values, or zero. I didn’t find that that had anything other than an illusory effect. Some users turned off the CPU Thermal throttling, though I never tried that myself because it seemed risky. The one thing that improved lag on my own G3 - I don’t understand why - was to install Google Now and use that as the default launcher rather than the stock LG one. When any tendency to lag has been cleared, the G3 is impressively fast and responsive.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Hey - looks better.

Made a few changes.

I am definitely a minimalist. I think what you have is helpful. To my eye, it could be more helpful if most of the narrative was removed. But again, that's just me.

If it were to be kept to just a few lines with links, a total of just a few inches in height on the page, you could post that minimal text as a "starter" on the Note 8 forum, asking for input. If someone has a great suggestion, reduce it down and add it to the group, maybe in sub-section.

Sometimes minimalism can be beneficial. In my experience with guides, I found the guide thread to be a little easier, for me at least, if I had even a short explanation on why I said what I suggested. I also tried to keep this as device neutral as possible.

If that was posted, plain/simple, I think it be of great utility for the broadest audience.

The one thing I try to avoid with guides is have them read like stereo wiring instructions. You know, the kind that can put you to sleep if you are an insomniac. Adding a bit of reasoning and sometimes a bit of humor can help break up the monotony of the writing.

 

[Javier P]

Sometimes lag could be caused by lack of free storage or some conflict with third party apps that we downloaded. Suffering lag could be the perfect excuse to go wild and remove all those apps that we barely use.

When uninstalling apps there's a chance that they still leave some files behind, so I like selecting 'force stop' and clearing data for the app before hitting the uninstall button.

Oh! And if you have installed any of those so-called cleaner, booster, memory optimiser apps ... kill them with fire