5 Solutions to Common Android Problems

5-solutions-to-common-android-problems

Android is one of the two most popular mobile operating systems in the world. It has the biggest market share together with iOS.

Considering the popularity, it is no surprise to see all kinds of devices in both tablet and smartphone sections.

Having said that, the variety of different devices also comes with certain problems. Most notably, users encounter technical issues.

Familiarizing yourself with common Android problems and knowing solutions is a good approach because it will help you in the future in case you encounter one yourself.

Update the Operating System

Let’s start with an operating system update. Overall, updates for Android OS are quite frequent. The size of an update varies depending on what kind of update it is. Android releases updates on a monthly, quarterly, and biannual schedule, though more recent devices (from around 2019 and later) tend to receive updates more frequently.

Be it random shutdowns or other technical troubles; the odds are that updating the device is precisely the solution you want to focus on.

Quite a few users tend to set automatic updates and wait for their smartphones or tablets to download and install a new OS version automatically.

On the other hand, if the automatic updates are disabled, you need to check for a new version manually. To do that, go to Settings, tap System, and go to System Update. If a new Android version is out, follow the provided steps to start the update.

One final thing to note is that if you see a pop-up notification about a new update, you can schedule it overnight. However, if the device is experiencing issues, it is best to update your Android smartphone or tablet as soon as possible.

Reset the Device

Another example of a solution to technical issues is to restart the device. This one is pretty obvious, considering how commonly the method is used. And it is not just mobile devices but computers as well that can benefit from the restart.

Resetting an Android device is pretty simple. You just need to press and hold the power button and wait for a few seconds until the power menu appears on the device’s screen. Then, tap the restart button and wait until your device switches on again.

Free Up Storage

Storage clutter is another example of significant issue that should not be ignored. First of all, smartphones and tablets do not have that much storage, especially when you compare them to computers.

Naturally, the less free space there is on the device, the worse the device will perform. It is common to see users stick to cloud storage services, such as Dropbox and Google Drive. Clouds are great not just as a means to free up space on the device but also as a way to back up data.

Of course, you cannot rely entirely on cloud storage. It is also necessary to keep a close eye on what you download and store on the device itself. Some files are easy to miss, so get in the habit of going through the data and removing files you no longer need.

Ideally, you want to keep at least 20 percent of the total storage free, but consider this number arbitrary. The more free storage there is, the better as it no longer clogs the device, causing performance problems.

Close Background Apps

Background applications are something that should not be happening in the first place, particularly when we are talking about resource hogs on the device.

If there are problems with the battery lifespan, your first bet should be background applications consuming system resources, including the battery.

To check whether there are any background apps on your Android smartphone or tablet, open the home screen and click on the bottom-right button to open background apps. If the screen is clear, you are good to go.

In case there are background apps, you can close them individually by pressing the X on each window individually, swiping left to right, or clicking on the CLOSE ALL button at the bottom of the screen.

Clean the Device

Cleaning your smartphone or tablet might not be something that comes to mind right away, most notably because overall, people do not really bother with it. In fact, they do not even consider ever cleaning the dust and other particles clogging the device.

Say that you are having issues with the integrated microphone or speakers. It is not just some problem you can expect to solve itself. No, solving issues related to the internal hardware is tricky and will most likely call for professional help. However, there is still something you can do to improve the situation, and that is to spend some time thoroughly cleaning the reachable areas of the device to get rid of particles clogging the ports and vents.