An update can slow down a phone and heavy applications can take an Android budgetary phone. Mine had reached the point where each tap felt delayed. The keyboard is lagging behind, the notification shade has stuttering and the opening of an application made me wait. Each slowdown has moved away from my patience until I stop reaching the phone unless it is absolutely necessary and I start to wonder if it was time to upgrade.
Before abandoning, I dug the parameters to see if there was something to try. Buried deep in the menu, I found a hidden control to adjust the animation speed. Out of curiosity, I tilted it. Although it did not resolve everything, the difference was clear. The transitions were faster, the screens moved fluidically and the phone seemed more reactive.
Daily actions have taken too long
Small delays made using my frustrating phone
Living with this discrepancy was the most difficult part. Simple tasks such as the response to a message or the opening of an alert have been interrupted by short breaks that broke the phone use flow. Each break was only a second or two, but repeated dozens of times a day, it made the phone slow and not very cooperative.
The frustration was worse during the times when I needed the phone instantly. The opening of the camera sometimes meant to wait just long enough to completely miss the shot. Even the notifications were interrupted before loading, transforming a quick look into another expectation. Over time, I reached the phone less, not because I wanted time far, but because each interaction seemed to be an additional effort.
The parameter that made my Android phone feel smooth again
The adjustment of the animation speed brought the flow
After weeks of slowing down, I tried all the usual fixes so that the phone feels faster. I crossed Settings that can slow down an Android phone, deleted applications that I did not have Opened in months, erased old downloads and moved photos and videos to cloud storage to free up space. I also erased the data cache from applications that used too much memory and restarted the phone regularly, hoping that it would erase everything that would cause the lag.
Despite this, the improvement never lasted, and soon the phone slowed down. When the discrepancy has returned, I dug more deeply in the parameters, in the hope of finding a more permanent solution.
By browsing the parameters, I came across a control that manages the speed at which Android plays its animations. It is in developer options, which are hidden by default. Animations are the small visual effects that play when you open the applications, change screen or move the menus. They make the phone smooth, but they also add a slight delay before everything occurs. The drop in their speed will not make the equipment faster, but it removes additional expectation and makes the phone more reactive.
Here’s exactly what I changed on my phone.
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Open Parameters and scroll towards About the phone.
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Faucet Software information and find Construction number.
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Press the construction number seven times And enter your pin or password when you ask you. The telephone will confirm that developer options are now activated.
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Return to the main settings page and open Developer options.
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Scroll until you find Window animation scale,, Transitional animation scaleAnd Animator’s duration scale.
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Change all three 1x has 0.5x.
I also tried to turn them off to compare, but I preferred 0.5 times because he kept a hint of movement while feeling faster. If you do not see these entries when you scroll, use the search bar in the settings and type “animation scale”.
On some phones, the construction number appears inside the phone rather than under software information. Following these steps makes the phone refreshed, and there are other ways to ensure that an Android phone feels new again for all those who wish to explore more options.
What to expect after changing it
Faster transitions made my phone responsive
The reduction in the animation scale will not upgrade your equipment, but it changes the speed with which Android goes from one screen to another. The phone is just waiting for the complete animation ends before showing the result, which means that taps and scales respond more quickly.
You will notice the biggest difference when you switch between applications, reducing the notification shade or the opening of the settings of parameters. These transitions open more quickly because the phone jumps part of the animation. You could always see a delay in heavy applications that take time to load, but most daily actions will be significantly faster.
If you don’t know which option feels best, try to experiment. Define the scale on Disabled And see how the phone behaves, then go back to 0.5x if you prefer a movement. You can always come back to 1x or more if you want the original look.
This change did not transform my budget phone into a lighthouse, but it was enough to make me think twice before upgrading. The reduction in the animation scale has made daily use more quickly and brought back sweetness. If your phone is slow, try this tweak before buying a new one. It takes a few minutes to install, and you can always go back if you don’t like it.
