Performance issues are often the result of wear and tear in mobile devices. Symptoms usually instigate in the later months or years of constant use. Among the common indications of a degraded smartphone performance would include sluggishness or constant lags, random freezes, crashes, and boot loops, to name some. A device also slows down when it’s overheating. These symptoms usually occur earlier in low end devices than the high-end models. But this is not always the case as other users of high-tiered smartphones already bumped into any of these issues even during the early stage.
Here in this post, we will tackle a particular symptom of depreciated performance on Samsung Galaxy J3, in which the device starts to run very slow. Learn what to do when you begin to experience the associated problems including sluggishness in loading apps and contents on this Galaxy device. But before that, let us find out the common triggers.
However, if you are searching for a solution to a different problem, make sure you visit our Galaxy J3 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed a lot of issues reported by our readers. In case you need more help, fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.
What causes your Galaxy J3 to perform very slow?
One of the common factors linked to slow performance in mobile devices like the Galaxy J3 is insufficient memory. It is normal for devices to slow down when the memory shrinks as they’re longer able to process carry out more processes the same way they did before. It’s like that there’s a lot for them to process already and so they will need to take things slowly. If you are fond of downloading new apps and contents, then you will likely to experience the problem earlier. Unless you constantly monitor your phone storage and free up space when necessary.
Faulty apps can also be among the culprits. It is normal for an app to become rogue at times especially when bugged. And on when an app is glitching, the phone will likewise not be able to perform at its best especially when the faulty app is in use. In this case, the problem is isolated to an application rather than the device itself. Most likely if the bad app is removed, the phone can perform better and faster again.
Another factor that can inflict slow performance on your Galaxy J3 is a faulty update. Although software updates are purposely rolled out to keep devices optimized and better, they also contain some bugs that can affect the overall performance of a device once the update is installed. This is when post-update issues begin to surface. Hence if your phone starts to perform very slow or keeps lagging after updating to the latest Android version, then the update is most likely to blame.
Simultaneous running of multiple complex apps can also cause your device to slow down. This is normal though since your device has a lot to process at one time so it really has to take things slow. But this shouldn’t be an issue especially with high-powered smartphones like those with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos SoC chipset on the Galaxy S8 variants.
Aside from memory-related issues, slow performance in mobile devices can also be an indication of hardware problem. Perhaps, the device just couldn’t be at its hundred percent in terms of carrying out loads and functions because of physical or liquid damage on one of its hardware components. This is often the case when there were previous instances of dropping or liquid exposure on the phone. Service is often required as remedy.
How to speed up your Galaxy J3?
Now that we’ve already tackled the possible causes, let us proceed with the fixes. As much as possible try to rule hardware problem out from the possible triggers beforehand. Once you have done that, you then can try any of the subsequent workarounds.
Reboot your Galaxy J3 (soft reset)
A soft reset can help free up memory some space of your phone’s memory. It also rectifies minor glitches occurring in certain apps. Cached files containing bad segments are likewise be mended in the process. Sometimes the phone slows down when an app is glitching and needs to be restarted. So if you haven’t already, give it a try. Simply turn your device off for about 30 seconds and then turn it back on. If your device screen gets unresponsive or stuck, you can do the alternative method which is a force reboot. To do so, simultaneously press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons for about 10-20 seconds or until the device power cycles.
Either of these processes won’t affect data on the device.
Clear apps cache and data
If the problem occurs only to certain apps like your mobile browser for instance, then clearing cache and data from the app can potentially fix it. Sometimes, cache files get corrupted and when this happens the overall performance of the app gets affected. This is when constant lags and freezes usually occur on your device. To clear apps cache and data on your Galaxy J3, follow these steps:
- Tap Apps from the Home screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Navigate to Applications-> Application Manager.
- Select the app you would like to clear the cache and data.
- Navigate to Storage.
- Tap Clear Cache to clear the app’s cache or Clear Data to clear the app’s data.
- Click OK to confirm.
Note: By clearing data, the app will be reset to the factory default settings so any saved personal settings for the app including your passwords will be deleted.
RELEVANT POSTS:
- How to fix Samsung Galaxy J3 that won’t bootup or turn on after a firmware update [Troubleshooting Guide & Potential Solutions]
- What to do about your Samsung Galaxy J3 that got stuck on the logo
- Samsung Galaxy J3 Boots To Samsung Logo Then Turns Off Issue & Other Related Problems
- How to fix your Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) that keeps showing “Unfortunately, Google App has stopped” error [Troubleshooting Guide]
Manage memory space on your Galaxy J3
Memory management is required to keep your device at its best performance. So go ahead and check your current memory status and if necessary, remove all unnecessary apps and contents to free up some space of your internal storage. You can also backup some of your important data to an external storage media. Just make sure that your device has ample of storage space available to carry out more loads and new processes.
- Swipe down the Status bar.
- Tap the Settings icon.
- Scroll to and tap Storage.
Review the available memory information on the screen.
Boot into Safe Mode
Booting into safe mode can help you determine whether or not a third-party app is causing your device to slow down. All third-party apps and services are disabled in this mode. If you have installed a third-party app on your device before the problem started, then that app is likely the trigger especially if your phone performs as intended while in safe mode. If necessary, you can uninstall the app from within Safe Mode. Here’s how to boot your Galaxy J3 into safe mode:
- Make sure the phone is turned off.
- Next, press and hold the Power button.
- At the Samsung logo, release Power button and quickly hold the Volume Down button instead.
- Once the phone finishes rebooting, release Volume down button. Also, a “Safe Mode” label should be shown in the lower-left corner of the screen.
- Open the apps drawer and open Settings.
- Scroll to Device and tap Applications
- Tap Application manager and access Downloaded
- Select the desired app and tap Uninstall twice to confirm
- Once the app has been deleted, press and hold the Power button and then tap Restart to restart your device in normal mode.
Wipe cache partition
Wipe cache partition is different from clearing of individual app caches. It’s a more advanced cache method as it clears the system cache partition instead of specific apps. The system cache partition is where temporary system data are stored. It is supposed to grant the system access to apps more quickly and efficiently. But then again, things can get cluttered and outdated at times so that’s when a periodic cache clearing is recommended. Doing so will help make the system run smoothly. The process won’t affect or delete personal data or settings from your device. And here’s how it’s done:
- Turn off the phone if necessary
- Press and hold the Power button, Home button, and Volume Up button at the same time
- At the Samsung logo, release the Power button but keep holding down the other two buttons.
- When the Android logo appears, release Home and Volume Up buttons.
- From the Android System Recovery menu, press Volume down repeatedly to navigate to and highlight Wipe cache partition.
- Press the Power button to confirm the selected option
- Once the cache is cleared, “Reboot system now” should be highlighted
- Press the Power button to confirm and restart your device.
Factory reset
A factory reset or master reset is a process of restoring your device to the state it was when it left the factory. All settings, apps, and data you’ve added are deleted in the process. This is often considered as the last resort in fixing more complex software issues in mobile devices. Needless to say, it is a tedious process but generally an effective solution to consider when dealing with malfunctioning apps or faulty system. If ever you’ve run out of options and still couldn’t get your Galaxy J3 to speed up, then you might as well consider factory reset as your last resort. Here’s how it’s done:
- Back up all your personal data stored on the phone.
- Tap Apps from the Home screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Backup and reset.
- Select Factory data reset.
- If prompted, read and review the information. If you are using an SD card and that is inserted, select the option to Format SD card if you also want to delete the data on your microSD card. Note that once you format the microSD card, the data can no longer be recovered.
- Tap Reset Phone.
- Tap Delete All to delete all information and downloaded apps.
- If prompted, enter your security lock or passcode to proceed.
Wait until your device is done removing your personal data and restores the Android platform to its original state. After the factory reset, you can reinstall any downloaded or purchased apps from the Google Play Store.
Other options
If none of the above recommendations is able to fix the problem and that your Samsung Galaxy J3 is still performing very slow, then you may now contact your device carrier or Samsung Support for other options. Escalating the problem is also recommended especially if it instigates after installing a new update to Android.
If you suspect that a hardware damage is causing your device to slow down, then you can just take it to an authorized center and have it assessed by a technician instead.
Posts you may also like to read:
- Things you need to do if your Samsung Galaxy J3 fell in water and won’t turn on after that [Troubleshooting Guide]
- Samsung Galaxy J3 Switches Off Automatically Issue & Other Related Problems
- Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) cannot fully charge its battery after an update [Troubleshooting Guide]
- How to fix your Samsung Galaxy J3 (2017) that no longer charges after an update [Troubleshooting Guide]