8 FREE tips to Fix Lagging & Running Slow iPhone in 2025
Roman Kropachek
Co-founder of 50+ software projects. 22 years in Marketing, SEO & IT business. Ukrainian-born. Lives in Florida. CEO Club member. #seo #software #apps #marketing
Is anyone else’s iPhone acting like it’s about to give up? You tap it, and it’s like, “Nah, maybe later.” Scrolling feels like it’s in slow motion, apps are lagging, and don’t even get me started on videos freezing in the middle. It’s super frustrating, but honestly, it’s usually something simple like a full storage, missed updates, or just the phone being its usual quirky self. The good news? There are plenty of easy fixes to get it running smoothly again. Let’s break it down and get your phone back in action.
1. Update your iPhone’s iOS
If you’ve been ignoring those iOS update notifications, it’s probably time to stop. Those updates aren’t just there to annoy you—they come with fixes for bugs, performance upgrades, and all the little tweaks that keep your iPhone running like a dream. Getting it done is super easy and takes just a few minutes, so why not knock it out? Let me walk you through it real quick.
Pros:
? Improved device performance.
? Bug fixes.
? Security updates.
? App optimization.
Cons:
? Possibility of new bugs or issues.
? Long installation time.
? Storage requirements might be high, leading to slower performance.
Updating your iPhone’s iOS is honestly a no-brainer. It’s quick, painless, and can make a huge difference in how your phone runs. Those updates aren’t just for show—they’re packed with fixes and tweaks that can smooth out glitches and speed things up. If your phone’s been acting up, this might be the easiest win you’ll get today.
2. Free Up Storage Space
Time for a little phone decluttering! If your iPhone’s feeling sluggish, it might be crying out for some breathing room. Ditch those apps you haven’t touched in months, clear out ancient texts, back up your photos and videos to iCloud, and wipe your browser history. A packed phone is basically asking to lag, so clearing up space can work wonders. Here’s how to check what’s hogging all that storage:
Pros:
Cons:
Clearing out the clutter on your phone is low-key one of the best things you can do. Those random apps you never use, hundreds of blurry photos, and piles of cached data? They’re just dead weight. Freeing up space gives your phone the boost it needs to run smoother and faster. It’s a quick win that makes a huge difference.
3. Force Restart your iPhone
If your iPhone’s acting weird, doing a hard reset (aka force restart) can help. It’s like giving the operating system a quick kickstart to clear out minor software glitches and get things running smoothly again.
Note: Resetting an iPhone differs depending on the model that you have.
For iPhone 6S and earlier iPhone models:?
For iPhone 7/7 Plus:?
For iPhone 8 and later models:?
Pros:
? Quick temporary fix.
? Clears system cache.
? Resolves minor glitches
Cons:
? Doesn’t fix the root cause.
? Possibility of getting data corruption.
? Not a long term performance boost.
A force restart on your iPhone is a solid quick fix for random glitches or slowdowns. It’s super useful in the moment, but don’t expect it to solve any major underlying issues. If the problem keeps coming back, you’ll need to figure out what’s really going on.
4. Manage your Background App Refresh Settings
Background apps are the ultimate phone freeloaders. They eat up your RAM, suck the life out of your battery, and leave your phone crawling. Shut them down and take back control!
Pros:
?Improved battery life leading to smoother processes.
?Improved performance.
Cons:
? Manual effort.
? Not a full solution to slowdowns.
Disabling background app refresh for apps you don’t really use is a quick win for saving battery and freeing up a bit of RAM. Just don’t expect it to work miracles clearing up storage or keeping iOS updated will make a much bigger difference overall.
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5. Turn Off Location Services
Location Services can wreck your iPhone’s vibe. GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular are all working in the background, draining your battery and slowing things down. If too many apps are using it, your phone’s gonna feel like it’s running on fumes. Time to tweak those settings and chill things out!
Pro tip: If you don’t want to turn Location Services off completely, you can pick and choose which apps can access it. Just go through each app and select options like "Never," "Ask Next Time," "When I Share," or "While Using The App."
Pros:
? Reduced background activity.
? Reduced heating.
? Lower system strain.
Cons:
? Loss functionality on some apps.
? Doesn’t resolve the underlying issues.
? Might not get important app notifications.
Turning off Location Services for apps you don’t care about is a simple move to save battery and give your phone a break. It’s not a magic fix for speed, but it’ll make things run smoother over time. Worth it!
6. Reset your iPhone’s Settings
If your iPhone’s dragging, resetting the settings can help. It wipes out any weird glitches or messed-up configs that might be slowing things down. Give it a shot—it’s easier than you think!
FYI: Resetting your iPhone’s settings won’t touch your data. Your photos, files, and apps are safe—it just clears out any weird settings or glitches messing with your phone’s performance.
Pros:
? Restores default settings without data loss.
? Fixes software glitches
? Fixes app crashes and freezing.
Cons:
? Takes time to finish.
? Can only fix minor software issues.
7. ?Check your Phone’s Battery Health.
Over time, your iPhone’s battery gets weaker and struggles to keep up under pressure. When that happens, iOS steps in and slows things down to keep your phone from randomly shutting off. If your battery health drops below 80%, you’ll probably start noticing the lag. Check your battery health to see where you’re at!
Pros:
? Identifies battery-related issues.
Cons:
? Cost and inconvenience of battery replacement.
When your battery health dips below 80%, it’s basically a sign that your phone’s struggling. No software update is gonna fix that getting a battery replacement is the way to go if you want your phone to feel fresh again.
8. Restore Factory Settings
Doing a factory reset on your iPhone is like giving it a clean slate—it can fix slowdowns and glitches by wiping everything out. But heads up, it deletes all your data, so don’t skip the backup step if you want to keep your stuff! How to do a factory reset?
Pros:
? Complete removal of software issues.
? Removes clutter such as unnecessary and temporary files.
? Fixes performance issues.
Cons:
? Complete data loss.
? Requires a backup.
? Time consuming.
When your iPhone’s running like a snail and nothing else helps, a factory reset can be a lifesaver. It wipes everything and gives your phone a fresh start. Just remember to back up your data first, and only go for it if you’ve tried everything else!
Final Thoughts
Dealing with a slow iPhone is the worst, but I’ve been there, and a few tweaks made a huge difference for me. Updating iOS was my first move, it’s easy to overlook, but those updates really help. I cleared out some storage by deleting apps I never use and offloading old photos, which instantly made my phone snappier. A quick force restart also helped clear out temporary glitches. Disabling background app refresh was another game-changer; it lightened the load on my phone without any downsides. Resetting my settings was surprisingly effective too; it didn’t touch my data but fixed a ton of random issues. I didn’t need to go all-in with a factory reset, but it’s good to know that’s an option if nothing else works. These small tweaks really brought my phone back to life and I highly recommend giving them a shot!