11 Quick Ways to Fix iPhone Freezing and Lagging [Solved]

We all love our iPhones for their excellent design and smooth performance. But like any electronic device, they’re not immune to occasional glitches. Some users have been constantly complaining about the iPhone freezing and lagging issues. These glitches can spoil important moments and are no doubt very annoying.

Luckily, you’ve found this guide. In this article, we’ll walk you through 11 simple yet effective methods to solve the iPhone lagging issue. We’ve also got easy step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow. But before we start these methods, shouldn’t we find out the reasons behind iPhone lagging? Let’s see!

Bonus Tip: Here are some other tips for iPhone issues.

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Why Is My iPhone Freezing and Lagging

When you get an iPhone freezing and lagging, it’s not just a minor inconvenience. It totally disrupts your whole day. So, when you encounter such a situation, the first step is to find the root cause behind it. Knowing the possible reasons can greatly help in fixing the iPhone lagging issue.

Here are some of the reasons that cause lagging in an iPhone.

• Low Storage Space: When your iPhone reaches its storage limit, it can start to freeze for some time.
• Too Many Apps Running: If you have many applications running at the same time, your phone can slow down. All these apps use up the memory and cause it to lag.
• Outdated Software: Having an old iOS version might not seem like a big deal. But, it can also contribute to your iPhone lagging issue.
• Cache Data: Cache data is stored to speed up certain processes. But too much of it can have the opposite effect.
• Hardware Age: Older models of the iPhone might struggle to keep up with new updates and apps. They are optimized for the latest hardware.

Now that we have an idea about what could be causing these glitches let’s get down to fixing them.

11 Fixes to iPhone Lagging and Freezing

We are now going to show you 11 practical methods to address the iPhone freezing and lagging. Follow the step-by-step guide for each method and apply it on your iPhone. Also, we recommend you try each method. You’ll definitely find the one that resolves your specific issue. Now, let’s start with our first fix!

Fix 1. Close All Running Apps

You don’t have to go for some complicated method at the start. Sometimes, even closing all apps can work when iPhone is lagging and freezing. It can free up resources to speed up your slow iPhone. It’s like giving your phone a little room to breathe and focus on what you’re doing. Moreover, this method is quick and simple. So you can apply it right away. Follow this stepwise guide to close all the running apps to fix iPhone lagging.

Step 1. Double-click the home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen & pause slightly.

Step 2. Identify which apps you currently don’t need.

Step 3. To close an app, simply swipe its card upwards.

After you’ve closed all the apps, use your iPhone for a bit to see if it performs better. If the issue is still there, move on to the next fix.

Fix 2. Restart iPhone

You might wonder why something as basic as a restart is here. But the reason is quite simple. Turning your device off and on again can stop all the unnecessary processes. It gives your system a fresh start. That’s why restarting an iPhone can resolve iPhone slowing down. So, it’s a good choice before attempting other fixes. Here are the steps to restart your iPhone.

Step 1. Hold down the side button and either volume button until the “slide to power off” slider appears.

Step 2. Swipe the slider to turn off your iPhone. Your screen will go black, indicating that the device is off.

Step 3. Wait for about 30 seconds. This gives your phone time to shut down fully.

Step 4. Now, hold the side button until you see the Apple logo. Let go of the button as soon as the Apple logo appears.

Once your phone has restarted, use it for a while to see if the lagging or freezing issue persists.

What if it does? Then let’s see what else we’ve got!

Fix 3. Delete Useless Apps

We all have apps that we downloaded on a whim and never used again. These apps not only take up valuable storage space but can also disturb the operating system of the iPhone. By removing apps you don’t use, you’re freeing up space as well as resources. Consider this as a house-cleaning exercise for your iPhone. After that, the iPhone freezing and lagging issue will be fixed. Here’s how you delete useless apps on an iPhone.

Step 1. Go to the Apps Library, then press & hold the icon of the app you want to delete.

Step 2. In the menu that pops up, select the ” Delete App” option.

Step 3. Tap “Delete”‘ to remove this app from your iPhone.

After deleting all the unnecessary apps, your issue should be resolved.

If it does not, then there might be a system problem. And the next fix is the solution for it!

Fix 4. Fix iOS System Issues

Sometimes, your iPhone freezing and lagging may be tied to the operating system itself. In such cases, specialized repair tools can be helpful. AnyFix – iOS System Recovery is one such tool that is designed to fix 150+ iOS-related issues, like iPhone lagging, iPhone freezing, iPhone won’t turn on, stuck in recovery mode, etc. And it even offers a mode for you to remove system issues without data loss. All iPhone/iPad models and iOS versions are supported. You can learn more about this tool below.

• Fix 150+ system issues and 200+ iTunes errors – Stuck on Apple logo, boot loop, frozen screen, iTunes connection error, etc. AnyFix solves everything for you.
• 3 repair modes – AnyFix can provide Standard, Advanced, and Ultimate modes to meet a variety of repair needs. You can either repair your system without data loss or troubleshoot problems in depth.
• Easy to use, fast to fix – Fix all system problems in minutes with simple clicks. Anyone can use this tool easily and quickly.
• Support multiple devices – AnyFix is compatible with all iPhone/iPad models and iOS versions, including the latest iPhone 15 and iOS 17.

Now free download AnyFix and follow the steps below to fix iPhone freezing and lagging using AnyFix.

Step 1. Launch AnyFix on your computer. After launching, choose the System Repair option from the main interface.

Step 2. Connect your iOS device to your computer. Then choose issue types and click on the Start Now button.

Step 3. Select the repair mode. It is advised to choose the Standard Repair first because it does not erase any device data.

Step 4. Now, you need to download firmware for your iPhone. AnyFix automatically provides a suitable firmware for you. Just click on the Download button to get it.

Step 5. Once the firmware is downloaded, hit the Start Standard Repair button. It will initiate the repair process.

Step 6. When the process is complete, you can go back and check your iPhone. You’ll see that the iPhone is running smoothly.

But if the iPhone is still lagging, then try the next fix.

Fix 5. Clear iPhone Storage

A full storage space can often be the culprit behind a slow or freezing iPhone. Excessive files, apps, and data can overwhelm your system. If your iPhone has less than 1GB of space, then it gets really hard for the system to operate. But the solution in this case is quite simple. You can just clear out unnecessary things. It can free up storage and contribute to the smooth operation of your iPhone. Here’s a stepwise guide to check iPhone storage when iPhone running slow.

Step 1. Go to the home screen of your iPhone and tap on the “Settings” app. Now tap on General > iPhone Storage.

Step 2. Scroll down, and see which app is occupying the most space.

Step 3. Tap on any app you no longer need. Then, you can Offload them to clear up storage.

Step 4. Go back and delete the excess media files. Also, delete the “Recently Deleted” album in Photos.

When your storage comes down, check your iPhone performance. If the issue persists, then…

Fix 6. Clear Safari History and Data

Over time, your Safari browser collects a huge amount of browsing history, cookies, and cached data. All this data can not only take up storage but can also slow down your browsing experience. Wiping Safari data can sometimes offer an improvement in the device’s performance. Notably, if you are experiencing iPhone freezing and lagging while using the internet, you must try this method. You can clear the Safari history and data by following these steps.

Step 1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings app. Now scroll down and select “Safari.”

Step 2. Within the Safari settings, tap on the “Clear History and Website Data” option.

Step 3. Click on the “Clear History and Data” option.

Step 4. It’s a good idea to close all the opened Safari tabs. To do this, tap on the “Close Tabs” option.

Once you’ve cleared the history and closed all tabs, exit Safari and restart your device. If even this doesn’t solve the problem, then we’ve still got five more fixes. Try out the next one.

Fix 7. Turn on Optimized Battery Charging Mode

The iPhone has a built-in function called “Optimized Battery Charging. It can be helpful in extending your battery life. By learning your daily charging patterns, this feature manages the way your device is charging. Surprisingly, it has also been shown to maintain the optimal performance of iPhones. In short, enabling optimizing battery charging mode indirectly helps in the iPhone lagging problem. Here’s how you turn on the Optimized Battery Mode.

Step 1. Open “Settings” and go to Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

Step 2. Toggle on the “Optimized Battery Charging” option.

Step 3. A message will pop up. Confirm it to proceed.

In most cases, the iPhone freezing and lagging is resolved by now.

Fix 8. Turn off the Background App Refresh

Background App Refresh allows your apps to refresh content in the background with an internet connection. It can consume resources and slow down your iPhone. By turning off this feature, you free up system resources. Ultimately, your iPhone runs and solves the iPhone lagging issue. Here’s a step-by-step guide to turn off the Background App Refresh feature.

Step 1. Go to the Settings app and tap on the General > Background App Refresh options.

Step 2. Decide to turn off the feature entirely or just for selected apps.

Step 3. Turn off the toggle for apps you want to restrict.

Now, leave settings and check for any noticeable changes.

Fix 9. Reduce Transparency and Motion

Visual effects and animations on your iPhone can look appealing. But they require extra processing power. So you can reduce transparency & motion effects to lessen the strain on your device hardware. This fix is particularly noticeable on older iPhones that may struggle with modern graphical requirements. Follow these steps to turn on the Reduce Motion and the Reduce Transparency mode to fix iPhone freezing and lagging.

Step 1. Go to your Settings app. Now tap on Accessibility > Motion.

Step 2. You’ll see a “Reduce Motion” option at the very start here. Toggle it on.

Step 3. Now return to “Accessibility” and select “Display & Text Size.” Now, toggle on the “Reduce Transparency” option here.

Go back to see if you notice improvements. If you dislike the changes, go back and turn off the settings.

Fix 10. Update Your iPhone

Keeping your iPhone updated is not merely about getting new features. Software updates also come with performance improvements and bug fixes. If you are using an outdated iOS version, it may expose your device to issues already resolved in newer versions. These issues also include our iPhone lagging problem. Here’s how you update your device to fix iPhone lagging.

Step 1. Access the Settings app on your iPhone. Then tap on the General > Software Update options.

Step 2. If an update is available, click on this update. Now tap “Download and Install.”

Step 3. When the update is downloaded successfully, install it.

Your device may restart to complete the update process.

Fix 11. Factory Reset iPhone

A factory reset should be your last resort when all other methods fail to resolve iPhone freezing and lagging. This action wipes all data and returns the phone to its original settings. In return, it eliminates any software glitches, conflicts, or lingering issues. So you can use factory reset as a definitive solution. But make sure to back up your data first. You’ll lose all your saved files, apps, and settings. Here are the steps to factory reset your iPhone.

Step 1. Use iCloud or iTunes to back up all important data.

Step 2. Open  Settings and go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

Step 3. Enter your screen passcode and Apple ID credentials.

Step 4. After confirming, your iPhone will restart. It will then erase all data and revert to factory settings.

The Bottom Line

Are you tired of your iPhone freezing and lagging? Don’t worry!!! In this guide, we’ve shown you various methods to fix iPhone lagging issues. You can start by closing all apps and go up to an iPhone factory reset. If you’ve tried every common method and still can’t get your iPhone to function smoothly, it may be time to try AnyFix for free. It’s an all-in-one tool that specializes in solving iOS-related issues.