According to Mike Gikas, who has covered and tested smartphones for more than a dozen years, “The main reason why phones slow down over time is that operating-system updates often leave older hardware behind. Companies also update apps to take advantage of faster processing speeds and more efficient architectures.”

Why does Android get slower over time?

Operating System Updates and Heavier Apps Require More Resources. Your Android phone doesn’t have the same software it had a year ago (it shouldn’t, at least). … Or, your carrier or manufacturer may have added additional bloatware apps in an update, which run in the background and slow things down.

Why do phones get slower over time?

As users install more apps onto their devices, the more it has to handle on the background. These apps eat up both CPU, RAM, and battery power, resulting in a slower device. Some apps also require heavier resources and if your old smartphone’s hardware can’t keep up, it will eventually slow down.