Simple Ways to Make Your Old iPhone Run Faster

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1. Update Your iPhone’s Software

If you haven’t updated your iPhone in a while, this is a good place to start. Software updates don’t just bring new features—they also include performance improvements, security fixes, and bug patches that can help your device run more smoothly. Apple continuously refines iOS, sometimes improving how older devices manage background tasks, memory, and battery efficiency.

That said, updates aren’t always a guaranteed speed boost. Older iPhones may struggle with the latest iOS if it’s loaded with features designed for newer hardware. Before updating, check how the latest version performs on your specific model. You can find real-world feedback on Apple’s discussion forums or the iPhone subreddit to see if users with the same device report any slowdowns.

1. Start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap on ‘General‘ to find additional options.

   

3. Select ‘Software Update‘ to check for available updates.

   

4. If an update is available, tap ‘Update Now‘. You may need to connect your iPhone to a charger if the battery is low.

   

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update. Your iPhone will restart during this process.

Once the update is installed, your iPhone will restart with the latest iOS version, which can improve speed, stability, and overall performance. For details on what each update includes, check Apple’s official support page.

2. Free Up Storage Space

Low storage can significantly slow down your iPhone, especially on older models. iOS needs free space to operate efficiently, and when storage is nearly full, even basic tasks can become sluggish. It’s generally recommended to keep 10–20% of your total storage free, though having more available space is even better for smooth performance.

1. Open the Settings app, tap on ‘General‘, and then select ‘iPhone Storage’. This will display a breakdown of what types of files are consuming your storage and how much space they are using.

   

2. At the top of the iPhone Storage page, your iPhone might offer recommendations for optimizing storage, such as offloading unused apps or reviewing large attachments. Consider following these suggestions.

   

If you’re like most people, the Photos app is probably what takes up the most space on your iPhone. You can scroll through your library and manually delete old or unnecessary photos and videos, or, if you use iCloud Photos, enable Optimize iPhone Storage to keep lower-resolution versions on your device.

But let’s be honest—sorting through thousands of photos is time-consuming, and a cluttered library can be overwhelming. That’s why many people turn to third-party apps to streamline the process.

We’ve tested plenty of iPhone cleaning apps, and they make managing your library much easier. One standout option is Clever Cleaner: Free iPhone Cleaner, which we’ll use as an example. This app offers multiple tools (currently four) to clean up your iPhone and is completely free—a rare find. Many apps claim to be free but lock features behind paywalls or bombard you with ads. Clever Cleaner does neither, so you can use it without any surprises.

Clever Cleaner includes several tools that can clean up your iPhone’s storage:

• Similars – Unlike the native Photos app, which only detects exact duplicates, Clever Cleaner uses AI to identify similar images. This makes it much easier to remove photos that are nearly identical but slightly different, freeing up space.

• Screenshots – The app can quickly locate and delete screenshots that tend to pile up and lets you remove them in bulk.

• Lives – Converts Live Photos into single still images without quality loss and save some space. This is a rare feature among similar apps.

• Heavies – Helps you find and remove large photos and videos. It sorts files by size, with the biggest ones shown first—something the native Photos app doesn’t do.

Let’s see, for example, how you can find and delete the largest files on your iPhone. Maybe you have an old, forgotten video—it could free up a significant chunk of storage, since videos are usually the largest files on our phones, so this is one of the fastest ways to clear space.

1. Type “Clever Cleaner” into the search bar in the App Store, or go straight to its App Store page to download it.

2. Open the app and allow permission to access your Photos library.

3. At the bottom of the app tap ‘Heavies’.

   

4. The app automatically sorts all your videos from largest to smallest, with their file size and duration.

5. Tap any video to open the selection screen. You can swipe left or right to quickly preview and decide which ones to delete. If you want to remove all files at once, tap ‘Select All’ to mark every video in the list.

   

6. As you select videos, the app will show exactly how much space you’ll free up, right under the ‘Move to Trash’ button.

7. Tap ‘Move to Trash’.

8. Next, tap ‘Empty Trash’ and confirm it with ‘Delete’.

   
   
   This will send them to the Recently Deleted album in the Photos app, where you can restore them within 30 days or delete them immediately for instant storage recovery.
   

This app, like many modern cleaning tools, uses AI to make cleanup faster and more efficient. If you’re curious about other AI-powered cleaning apps, check out our dedicated ranking of AI iPhone cleaners.

Privacy is important, and Clever Cleaner handles it well. According to the app’s official page, all processing is done locally on your device, meaning no photos or personal data are uploaded to the cloud. This kind of transparency is exactly what you want from a cleaning app. We always recommend checking an app’s official page for privacy details before using it, as your personal data should always come first.

Clever Cleaner supports iOS 16 and later, so it works on an iPhone 8 or newer. If you’re using an older device—pre-iPhone 8—you’ll need a cleaning app compatible with older iOS versions, such as Clean Master – Super Cleaner, which supports iOS 10 and later.

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If, after cleaning your Photos library, you’re still low on free space, media files might not be the main culprit. The next place to check is apps and their data, as apps can quietly consume gigabytes over time.

Unfortunately, iOS doesn’t allow true third-party cleaning apps for other apps. Unlike Android, Apple’s policies prevent apps from accessing or clearing other apps’ data. This means you’ll need to manually manage app storage.

3. Disable Background App Refresh

Background App Refresh allows apps to update their content in the background, which can use system resources and slow down your device. Disabling this feature can help older iPhones run faster by freeing processing power and conserving battery life. Here’s how to turn it off:

1. Start by tapping the Settings icon on your home screen.

2. Scroll down and select ‘General‘ to access more settings.

   

3. Tap on ‘Background App Refresh’. You’ll see a list of all the apps that currently refresh their content in the background.

   

4. You can choose to disable Background App Refresh entirely by toggling the switch at the top, or selectively turn it off for individual apps by toggling the switch next to each app.

   

With this, you not only improve performance but also extend your battery life. If there are apps that you frequently use and need up-to-date information from, consider leaving Background App Refresh enabled for those specific apps.

4. Reduce Motion and Transparency

Visual effects such as animations and transparency in the user interface can consume system resources, potentially slowing down older iPhones. Reducing these effects can help make an old iPhone faster by decreasing the load on the device’s processor and graphics subsystem. Here’s how to adjust these settings:

1. Locate and tap the Settings icon on your home screen.

2. Scroll down and select ‘Accessibility‘, which houses various settings that adjust how your iPhone operates and displays content.

   

3. Within the Accessibility settings, tap on ‘Motion‘. Here, enable ‘Reduce Motion‘. This setting reduces the motion of the user interface, including the parallax effect of icons and alerts.

   

4. Go back to the main Accessibility menu and tap on ‘Display & Text Size‘. Scroll down and activate ‘Reduce Transparency‘, which reduces the transparency and blurs on some backgrounds to increase legibility and performance.

   

Note. These settings are completely reversible, so if you don’t like how your iPhone looks after adjusting them, you can turn them back on anytime. Try to disable Reduce Motion first, then Reduce Transparency, or vice versa, to see which combination feels best for you.

5. Optimize Location Services

Location Services can be useful for navigation, weather updates, and certain app functions, but they also constantly use your iPhone’s GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular data, which can slow down performance and drain battery. Many apps request location access even when they don’t actually need it—managing these settings can free up system resources and improve overall speed.

1. Tap on the Settings icon from your home screen.

2. Find and select ‘Privacy & Security‘ from the list of options.

   

3. Inside Privacy settings, tap ‘Location Services‘. You will see a list of all apps that have requested access to your location.

   

4. For each app, you can choose ‘Never‘, ‘Ask Next Time‘, ‘While Using the App’, or ‘Always‘. Opt for ‘While Using the App’ for vitally important apps like Maps or ride-sharing services, and select ‘Never‘ for apps that do not require location data to function effectively.

   

5. At the bottom of the Location Services page, tap ‘System Services‘ to review and disable location access for non-critical system services such as location-based ads, suggestions, and more.

   

Note. If an app suddenly stops functioning correctly after Location Services adjustment, you can always go back and re-enable location access for it in Settings.

6. Restart Your iPhone Regularly

Restarting your iPhone can help to clear temporary files and free up memory, which can resolve unexpected behaviors and slow performance. This simple action refreshes the operating system and can significantly make an old iPhone faster. Here’s how to properly restart your iPhone:

1. Hold down the side (or top) button along with either volume button until two sliding buttons appear on the screen. For iPhones with a Home Button (iPhone SE, iPhone 8, and older models), press and hold the Power button (on the side or top) until the power slider appears.

   

2. Slide the power off slider to turn off your iPhone completely. Wait for the device to shut down.

   

3. After your iPhone has turned off, press and hold the side (or top) button again until the Apple logo appears, signaling that your iPhone is restarting.

Restart Your iPhone Regularly A simple restart can help apps that aren’t properly closing or freeing up memory when you exit them. It’s a good habit to restart your iPhone at least once a week, or after installing new apps or updates that may affect performance.

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7. Limit Widgets and Home Screen Pages

Too many widgets or multiple home screen pages can slow down your iPhone. Each time you unlock your phone or swipe between screens, iOS must load and refresh widget data and animations, which can impact performance—especially on older devices.

Simplifying your home screen setup reduces the load on your iPhone’s processor and can make your device feel faster. Here’s how to streamline your home screen:

1. Tap and hold on any app icon or widget until all icons begin to jiggle. This is the edit mode where you can make changes to your home screen.

2. Tap the minus sign on any widget you wish to remove or drag widgets off the home screen to reduce clutter. For necessary widgets, consider using smaller sizes to free up more space.

   

3. Organize apps into folders to reduce the number of home screen pages. This can be done by dragging similar apps together to create folders automatically.

   

4. To minimize the number of swipe actions needed to find your apps, try to keep your home screen to as few pages as possible. Remove apps or move them to folders if they are not frequently used.

   

5. Press the ‘Done’ button or the home button on older models to save your changes.

   

Note. If you reduce home screen pages, it doesn’t delete the apps that were on them—it simply hides the extra pages to keep your home screen more organized. If you remove a page but still need an app, you can always find it in the App Library. From there, you can open the app directly or drag it back to your home screen if needed.

8. Check for Battery Health

A worn-out battery can slow down your iPhone significantly. When battery health degrades, iOS may throttle performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns, which will make your device feel slow. If you want to make your old iPhone faster, check your battery health—it might be time for a battery replacement.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap on ‘Battery‘ to access battery settings.

   

3. Select ‘Battery Health & Charging’ to view the maximum capacity and peak performance capability of your iPhone’s battery.

   

4. Check the ‘Maximum Capacity‘, which indicates the battery’s capacity relative to when it was new. A lower percentage means a worn-out battery that may need replacement.

   

5. Turn on ‘Optimized Battery Charging‘ to help extend your battery’s lifespan. This feature learns your charging habits to reduce battery aging.

   

If the ‘Peak Performance Capability’ indicates that the battery’s condition has significantly degraded, consider contacting Apple support or visiting an Apple Store for potential battery replacement. Replacing the battery can restore full performance and prevent your iPhone from unexpectedly shutting down.

9. Consider a Factory Reset

When other methods have not sufficiently improved the performance of your old iPhone, a factory reset can be a drastic but practical measure. This process will erase all data, settings, and content from your iPhone, returning it to its original state as when it was first turned on. This can often resolve persistent performance issues caused by software glitches or overcrowded storage. Here’s how to safely perform a factory reset:

Before proceeding, make sure all important data is backed up. Use iCloud or iTunes to secure your photos, messages, and application data.

1. Tap the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Scroll down and select ‘General‘.

   

3. At the bottom of the General settings, tap ‘Transfer or Reset iPhone‘.

   

4. Select ‘Erase All Content and Settings’. This will initiate the process to completely wipe your iPhone. You may need to enter your passcode and Apple ID password to confirm this action.

   

5. After the reset, your iPhone will restart as if it were new. You can set it up as a new device or restore from a backup if desired.

A factory reset is especially useful if your iPhone is bogged down by years of accumulated apps, photos, and hidden clutter that can’t be cleaned manually. It’s also recommended if your device is experiencing unusual behavior or persistent software issues that haven’t been resolved through updates or settings adjustments.

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Final Words

We suggest trying the methods in the order we’ve presented them. There’s no need to jump straight to something as drastic as a factory reset—though in some cases, it can breathe new life into an old iPhone that seemed sluggish or beyond hope.

Start with simple cleanup, turn off non-essential features, and experiment with different combinations of settings. While these tweaks won’t transform your phone into the latest model, they can give your iPhone a noticeable performance boost and help postpone the cost of upgrading.

For real-life feedback, additional tips, and community support, check out InsanelyMac or the iPhone subreddit. You’ll find plenty of users sharing experiences, advice, and workarounds. With recent iPhone updates being less revolutionary, more people are choosing to stick with their older devices rather than upg