How to Fix an iPhone That is Suddenly Slowing Down & Lagging

It’s frustrating when your iPhone, which once ran like a dream, suddenly starts slowing down. Apps take longer to load, screens freeze mid-scroll, and even typing out a simple message can feel like a chore. You’re not imagining things. Over time, your phone can start to lag for a variety of reasons, from overloaded storage and background processes to outdated settings that quietly chip away at performance.

A slow phone doesn’t have to be your  fate, nor should you have to live with a sluggish phone forever. Two tech experts have shared some simple, effective tips that can help bring your iPhone back up to speed.

With just a few adjustments, you can improve performance and get your phone running more smoothly again, all without having to run out and spend money on a new one.

1. Push Email

Push email is a setting that automatically delivers new messages to your inbox the moment they arrive. While this can be convenient, it also means your phone is constantly checking and staying connected to the mail server in the background, and as you can imagine, this uses up processing power and battery life, which can gradually slow down your phone. The constant pinging for updates may not seem like a big deal, but over time, it can contribute to a noticeable lag in performance.

One way you can help speed things along is by switching from “Push” to “Fetch” or “Manual” mode. To change this, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data, and choose a less demanding option. 

2. Update Software

Keeping your iPhone’s software up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve speed and performance. Apple usually issues new iOS updates with bug fixes, security patches, and optimizations that can make your device run more smoothly. If you’ve been putting off updates, your phone may still be running on older software that slows things down or causes apps to crash more often.

To check for an update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If there’s a new version available, download and install it—your phone may feel noticeably faster afterward.