Android phone slow? I changed 2 developer settings for an instant speed boost
Android phone slow? I changed 2 developer settings for an instant speed boost
https://www.zdnet.com/article/android-phone-slow-change-2-developer-settings-for-speed-boost/
Publish Date: 2026-05-04 21:00:00
Source Domain: www.zdnet.com
Jack WallenZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Even lower-end Android phones can gain a performance boost.
- Enable developer options to access hidden settings.
- You’ll only need to change two settings to gain the improved speed.
My Pixel 9 Pro runs quite well, and it has since I first purchased it. However, I’ve used several phones over the years that struggled to keep up with my fingers, eyes, and brain. That can be very frustrating, especially if your phone is your only way of being online.
When your phone slows down, you might be tempted to head to the Google Play Store and install one of the many available “optimizers” apps. I would strongly encourage you not to do that, because those apps rarely do anything good, and the worst-case scenario is that the optimizer you just installed is loaded with malware.
So, what do you do?
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Fortunately, there are a couple of settings — already available on your phone — that will improve the performance of your device.
These options are built into your Android phone; all you have to do is unlock them.
Unlocking the features
To unlock and use these features, you have to enable the Android Developer Options. Although this might sound a bit daunting, don’t worry, it’s not. Here’s how.
Open the Settings app on your phone and navigate to About Phone. On that page, you’ll find a listing for Build Number. Tap that entry 7 times, and the Build Options will now be available (found in Settings System).
The build number tells you the version, release family, and code branch.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Adjust animations
The first setting you’ll want to change is animations. There are actually three options to change: Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animation duration scale. Here’s what those options do:
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