Clear out storage space first

A tablet that is nearly full runs slower because the operating system has less room to work. When your storage is above 85 percent full, performance drops noticeably. Check how much space you are using by going to Settings, then Storage (on Android) or iPhone Storage (on iPad), and look at the bar showing used versus available space.

Delete apps you no longer use — this frees up the most space quickly. Go to Settings, Apps, find programs you haven't opened in months, and uninstall them. If you want to keep photos and videos but need space, move them to cloud storage like Google Photos, OneDrive, or iCloud. These services let you delete the local copies from your tablet while keeping them backed up online.

Clear your browser cache and temporary files as well. In Chrome or Safari, go to Settings, find the browser app, select Storage or Cache, and tap Clear. This removes old website data that builds up over time and takes up several hundred megabytes on older tablets.

Key Takeaways

  • Storage above 85 percent full is the most common reason tablets slow down, and clearing apps and photos is the fastest fix.
  • Closing background apps and disabling location services, Bluetooth, and automatic updates reduces the load on your processor and battery.
  • Restarting your tablet once a week clears temporary memory and stops apps from accumulating in the background.
  • Older tablets with less than 2 GB of RAM will always run slower than newer models, and no software change will fully fix this.
  • Uninstalling heavy apps like social media platforms and replacing them with lighter web versions can improve speed noticeably.

Close apps running in the background

Apps continue to run after you close them, using processor power and draining battery. On Android, go to Settings, Apps, and look for apps with high battery or memory use — these are the ones slowing you down. Tap each one and select Force Stop to shut it down completely.

On iPad, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher, then swipe up on apps you want to close. Do this for social media apps, email, and messaging programs, which refresh constantly in the background. Closing them before you use your tablet for other tasks makes a real difference in speed.

You can also turn off background app refresh entirely. On iPad, go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh, and toggle it off. On Android, go to Settings, Battery, and turn off Background Restriction for apps you do not need running constantly. This trades some convenience — you will not get when ready notifications — for noticeably faster performance.

Turn off location, Bluetooth, and automatic updates

Location services, Bluetooth, and automatic app updates all run in the background and consume processor power. Turn off location services unless you are actively using a maps or weather app. Go to Settings, Location (Android) or Privacy, Location Services (iPad), and toggle it off.

Disable Bluetooth if you are not using wireless headphones or a keyboard. On both Android and iPad, swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings and tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off. Automatic app updates also slow your tablet, especially on older models. Go to Settings, Apps (Android) or App Store (iPad), find the update settings, and change from automatic to manual — you can update apps yourself once a week when you are not using the tablet for other things.

Restart your tablet weekly

Restarting clears temporary memory and stops apps from piling up in the background. A tablet that has been running for weeks without a restart accumulates data in RAM that slows everything down. Power off your tablet completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on.

Do this once a week as routine maintenance, not just when the tablet feels slow. Many users find that a weekly restart prevents slowdowns from happening in the first place. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.

Uninstall heavy apps and use web versions instead

Social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are among the heaviest programs you can install. They use significant storage, run background processes constantly, and update frequently. If you use these apps regularly, consider uninstalling them and using the web versions instead — open Facebook.com or Instagram.com in your browser.

The web versions are lighter, do not run background processes, and do not send constant notifications. You lose some features, but your tablet will be noticeably faster. If you need the app for specific features, uninstall it and reinstall only when you need it, then uninstall again after.

Reduce visual effects and animations

Tablets with older processors struggle with animated transitions between screens. Turning off these animations frees up processor power for the apps you actually use. On iPad, go to Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size, and toggle on Reduce Motion. On Android, go to Settings, Developer Options (you may need to enable this first by tapping Build Number seven times), and set Animation Scale to 0.5x or Off.

This makes your tablet feel snappier because screens open and close when ready instead of sliding in. The trade-off is less visual polish, but the speed gain is real on tablets older than five years.

Know when your tablet is straightforward too old

Tablets with less than 2 GB of RAM or processors from before 2015 will always feel slow, no matter what you do. If your tablet is more than six years old and still has the original storage and RAM, software changes will not make a meaningful difference. At that point, the cost of a new budget tablet — usually between $100 and $200 — is worth the speed and security you gain.

Check your tablet's age and specs by going to Settings, About Device (Android) or Settings, General, About (iPad). If the processor is listed as a Snapdragon 400-series, Exynos 5, or Apple A5, your tablet is at the end of its useful life for speed. Newer budget tablets run 5 to 10 times faster and cost less than you might expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a factory reset make my tablet faster?

A factory reset removes all your data and apps, which does speed up the tablet temporarily. However, the slowdown usually comes back as you reinstall apps and accumulate data again. Try the steps above first — clearing storage and closing background apps — before erasing everything. A reset is worth trying only if your tablet is still slow after you have deleted half your apps and restarted it.

Does updating my tablet's operating system help with speed?

Updates sometimes improve speed, but they can also slow down older tablets. Newer versions of Android and iPad OS demand more processor power and RAM. If your tablet is more than four years old, hold off on major updates unless they are security patches. Check Settings, System Update (Android) or Settings, General, Software Update (iPad) to see what version you are running.

Can I add more RAM to my tablet?

No. RAM is soldered to the motherboard on all tablets and cannot be upgraded. Storage can sometimes be expanded with a microSD card on Android tablets, but RAM is fixed at purchase. This is why older tablets with low RAM stay slow forever.

What is the difference between clearing cache and clearing storage?

Cache is temporary data apps create while running — clearing it frees up space but does not affect your photos, documents, or app settings. Clearing storage means deleting apps or files permanently. Always clear cache first; it is safe and often frees up several hundred megabytes.

Why does my tablet slow down after a few months of use?

Apps update constantly and take up more space, background processes accumulate, and temporary files build up. This is normal. Restarting weekly and clearing cache monthly prevents most slowdowns. If you notice a sudden drop in speed, check your storage — you may have hit the 85 percent threshold where performance drops sharply.