How to make slow Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus run faster again?

Over time, even powerful smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus will become sluggish and there are countless factors to consider which such issue occurs. Since we started providing free online support to our readers since 2012, we’ve been a witness to countless problems smartphone owners encountered with their devices. Even now, we still encounter similar issues and among the most common are performance-related.

In this post, I will walk you through in making your Galaxy S9 Plus that started to run slow run faster again. Since this isn’t the first time we encountered this problem, we already know a thing or two that could help you fix it but I will only provide you the steps that are effective enough. Believe me, we can have at least 10 procedures if we were to exhaust all possibilities. If you’re the owner of this device, continue reading as this article may help you somehow.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.

How to make slow Galaxy S9 Plus run faster again?

The following procedures have been proven effective in addressing performance issues. Try to see what works for you…

Use your phone in Safe Mode

When in safe mode, you can still be able to use your phone as all pre-installed applications will still run. The third-party apps however will be temporarily disabled and more often than not, your device will run smoothly while in this state. If it’s the case, then it means there are third party elements that cause the problem and it would be a lot easier to fix now that you know it’s due to third-party apps. Here’s how to run your phone in safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the screen.
  3. When SAMSUNG appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.

If the phone still runs slowly while in safe mode, then try the following procedures.

Check available storage

The Galaxy S9 Plus, no matter how powerful it is, if there’s not enough storage space available, you will surely encounter performance issues. It’s because every app and service creates their caches every time you use them. Other owners reasoned out that they bought SD cards with high capacity to address this issue but the thing is, you have to move some of your files and data into the SD card to free up some space from the phone’s internal storage. Just because you mounted a memory card doesn’t mean the phone will automatically move files into it. No, you have to move them by yourself.

Make sure there are no apps that keep crashing

Regardless whether it’s pre-installed or third-party, if an app keeps crashing, it will affect the phone’s performance and may lead to this issue. So, for instance, the Email app keeps on showing the error “Unfortunately, Email has stopped” when you open it and then your phone is running so slow, then that could be the culprit. You may clear the app’s cache and data to see if the problem gets fixed and in case it’s a third-party app, you may need to uninstall it.

Quit big apps

This is applicable to owners that encounter sluggishness every now and then especially if there are big apps or games that are installed. Pressing the Home button won’t close the app, it minimizes it but it’s still running in the background. So, properly quit the app and observe your phone to see if it works smoothly after that.

Wipe cache partition

Another possibility that we have to rule out has something to do with your phone’s system cache. These files get corrupted easily and when it happens, performance issues occur. So, take time deleting the system cache so that it will be replaced with a new one. All you need to do is run your Galaxy S9 Plus in recovery mode and wipe the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Android logo displays, release all three keys.
  4. An ‘Installing system update’ message will show for 30 – 60 seconds before the Android system recovery menu options appear.
  5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
  6. Press Power key to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
  8. When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If the phone still continues to run slow after this, then a reset is necessary.

Master Reset

Assuming that the firmware hasn’t been modified in any way and if all the procedures failed to fix the problem, then you need to reset your phone. A master reset is very effective when it comes to fixing performance issues. However, make sure to backup all your important files and data as they will be deleted.

You may either reset your phone through the settings menu:

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Samsung account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Samsung credentials to finish the master reset.
  2. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  3. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts > Backup and restore.
  4. Tap the following sliders to desired setting:
    • Back up my data
    • Automatic restore
  5. Tap the Back key (bottom right) until you reach the main Settings menu.
  6. Tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
  7. Scroll to the bottom of the screen, then tap RESET > DELETE ALL.
  8. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
  9. If prompted to verify your Samsung account, enter the password, then tap CONFIRM.
  10. Wait for the device to reset.

Or reset it through the recovery mode:

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Samsung account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Samsung credentials to finish the master reset.
  2. Turn off the device.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
  6. Press Power button to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you. If you have other issues you want to share with us, feel free to contact us anytime or leave a comment below.

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