Your Android phone is probably running 4 apps that are secretly slowing it down
Your Android phone is probably running 4 apps that are secretly slowing it down
https://www.makeuseof.com/android-phone-probably-running-apps-secretly-slowing-down/
Publish Date: 2026-04-01 14:30:00
Source Domain: www.makeuseof.com
I know how frustrating it is to deal with a slow Android phone. Your apps take forever to load, animations stutter, the screen freezes randomly, and your phone might even overheat. I have been there too. Usually, most folks either blame their hardware or think it’s due to a software update (sometimes, we even blame updates for slowing things down). It’s actually some of the apps that you use every day. Of course, modern smartphones have smarter memory management. They can automatically take care of the running apps. You don’t have to close apps on your phone. However, some apps go far beyond. They keep working even if you aren’t using them. Some apps may run background services and constantly sync data, which puts extra pressure on your phone.
I’m not talking about any shady apps. Some of the biggest culprits are, in fact, the popular apps you most probably have installed right now.
TikTok
And other social media apps
Tiktok location permissionCredit: Kanika Gogia / MUO
Social media apps like TikTok are among the most resource-intensive you can have on your Android phone. These apps are designed to keep you engaged with up-to-date content, which also means they rarely sit idle. Even when you aren’t using them actively, these apps can sync with their servers to fetch up-to-date content for you. For example, TikTok can preload videos, sync notifications, and track engagement…