How to Optimize Android for Mobile Service
Like any operating system – whether on a phone, tablet or computer – its performance will start to drop after you've used it for a while. Phones and tablets should be lighter and faster, especially since we use them every day and while moving between our responsibilities. But that isn't always the case.
Want the best of both worlds, combining performance with mobility? Know that you'll need to give your device a deep clean.
Don't worry – here we'll show you how!
If you've noticed that your Android device has been falling short, slowing down at those crucial moments, then it's time to sort it out. Stuffing it with apps and plug-ins is understandable, but it's something that should be avoided even if your device has plenty of memory.
Whether you're going to use new or old phones for your business, we'll show you how to keep them from getting so slow that they get in the way of serving your customers and your operation.
1) Know your device
Know what you'll need to install on it, and choose a device that won't be completely crippled by the size of the app or software you're going to run on it.
That doesn't mean “install nothing” – it means figuring out the minimum viable setup to do the job acceptably. For games or audiovisual editing apps, for example, it's better to have a stronger processor as well as a graphics card that can handle the game's graphics.
Now, for the EPOC CLOUD software or other productivity and management apps, the ideal for tablets is to have at least:
- 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of internal storage (with or without a memory card)
- 1.2 GHz quad-core processor
- Android 5 or higher installed
For phones, you need:
- 1.5 to 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of internal storage (with or without a memory card)
- 1.2 GHz quad-core processor
- Android 6 or higher installed
2) Update your device
If you haven't updated your Android to the latest version of the operating system yet, do it now. That little company known as Google improves and optimizes several aspects of its operating system with every update.
The updates are usually aimed at improving and stabilizing the operating system, regardless of how big the software (or app) running on it is. The connections are also optimized with every update, preventing them from failing in the middle of a download or an operation.
To update your Android, go into “Settings” and tap “Update Device”. It's worth allowing automatic updates whenever you plug it into the charger and Wi-Fi!
Some devices even let you schedule a specific time – overnight, for instance – to always look for new versions and update while you rest.
3) Remove the apps you won't use from your phone
Every app you install on your phone ends up taking up storage space. Not to mention that, while you use your phone, they may also be running operations in the background (for example, for you to receive WhatsApp messages without having it open, it has to keep running processes in the background).
In other words, the more apps you have installed on your tablet or phone, the slower it will get – even if you don't use those apps.
In other words, uninstall them so the ones you actually use can be faster, better and always up to date!
If you can't uninstall some apps, disable them. That way, even if you can't free up that space in your phone's memory, you'll stop it from running background operations. You can disable your phone's apps by going into the “Performance Assistant” in “Settings”.
Unlike uninstalling, disabling apps doesn't delete any of their files – it just stops them from running alongside the others.
To delete apps you installed yourself:
- Open your device's Settings app;
- Tap Apps and notifications;
- Tap App info;
- Tap the app you want to uninstall. You may need to scroll the screen to find the app;
- Tap Uninstall.
Or:
- Go into the Android menu and find the app you want to uninstall. Then tap it and hold your finger down;
- Drag the app icon to “Uninstall” in the upper left corner of the screen. Finally, tap “OK” to confirm the uninstall;
4) Update the apps you use!
You should regularly go into Google Play or your phone manufacturer's app store to update the apps you use. Yes, it sounds like the opposite of what I've said so far, and it's often annoying to keep going in to update them, but new versions always arrive packed with improvements.
Developers work to improve your experience, as a user, of the apps and software they build. That said, all updates are released not to overload your phone or tablet, but rather to optimize processes and fix the bugs – operational and system errors – that are found.
Updates improve the apps and software you use, and that's a fact. So instead of waiting around for the update notification – which usually gets dismissed on impulse -, get organized so that updates run during the hours when your business is closed, or during slow periods.
Just imagine if the tablets and phones started installing an update in the middle of service? Go into settings and decide when they get installed!
5) Invest in Memory Cards
The memory card is what gives your phone that extra breathing room. When there's no space left – or even when it's just running low – its overall speed drops and performance suffers.
In other words, memory cards aren't just about space, they're about performance too. These days there are memory cards ranging from 2GB to 32GB, with little variation in price.
Try to move your apps, photos and any other content you may have on the phone over to the memory card. Your phone's internal memory is used by its processor for operational tasks. Então, dessa maneira, é melhor você encher o cartão de memória antes da memória do celular, para que ele continue rodando como se fosse o primeiro dia de uso!
What really matters is optimizing the phone's performance. So whether you go with the 2GB or the 32GB one, look for one that's Class 6 or Class 10 for your phone. That way, read operations and app launches will be much faster!
6) Uninstall Your Widgets
Widgets aren't apps, which start running when you open them and keep running if you don't close them. Widgets are tools that are always running in the background of your phone.
While some are used to check the weather in your city – and in the other three you'll get around to visiting one day -, others are there to remind you of your daily tasks. Not to mention the many widgets that make it easier to access bluetooth, wi-fi or GPS.
In other words, small things that don't need a dedicated button.
Even though they all have their uses, having too many widgets will keep your phone from working properly.
7) Avoid Animated Wallpapers
Yes, they're a lot of fun. Watching the background move, the fish swimming by – among all the other options out there – is great for entertainment, but not for your mobile device.
Animated wallpapers made by the companies that manufacture the phones are better in this respect, but they still take up a lot of space.
The fun wallpapers from independent creators, on the other hand, usually aren't 100% compatible with the device. That's why they need more CPU cycles (processor and RAM usage) to run, draining the phone's battery and slowing down apps and software.
8) Stop Syncing!
Syncing is great for anyone waiting on important messages or emails – or even likes and comments on the photo you JUST posted. And that's it.
With syncing turned on, you'll get a notification every time an email comes in. Plus every update released for the apps you've downloaded, automatic backup failures, and plenty of other things that end up draining your battery and your data plan.
To fetch this information from the server, the device uses an automatic refresh mechanism on a pre-set interval. This process can work in two ways: either the app does a “pull notification”, meaning it “checks” your inbox every 5 minutes to see if anything new has arrived. Or there's also the server that does a “push notification” and “forces” the device to receive the data.
Keep automatic syncing turned off and only use it when you're expecting something important!
9) Turn Off All Animations
WARNING: Advanced users only. Tinkering with your phone's settings in developer mode can result in “bricking”, in other words, turning it into a paperweight because of some change to the system.
“But I don't have animations on my phone, I never downloaded any!”
Believe it or not, every phone these days ships with animations already enabled. That doesn't mean Apple or Android struck a partnership with Disney, far from it!
What it means is that every time you close (or open) an app, or even open the main menu, the screen does a “fade out”, as if it were sinking into the back of your phone, or a “fade in”, as if it were rising up. That's an animation too, using transparencies and effects, which ends up eating far more RAM and CPU on your mobile device, burning through your battery and degrading app performance for the sake of mere “visual appeal”
You can turn this off in your phone's settings. Besides both the window and animator animations, turn off transition animations as well to save even more processing power!
To do that, you'll need to enable Developer Mode*. Just go into “device settings” and tap “device information”. Then tap the “build number” item 7 times in a row and that's it! Developer Mode will be enabled.
Within developer mode itself, you can limit the number of processes to 4, making sure a bunch of apps don't stay open or running in the background of your phone.
10) Use a Task Killer or Task Manager
These days there are plenty of apps with this function, plus Android's own Task Manager. That said, the native app (the one that comes pre-installed) is only used to close programs running in the background. To block certain programs from being used, you need to download a dedicated app. Some device manufacturers, like Samsung, already include their own programs such as “Device Maintenance” to optimize performance.
O Advanced Task Killer and Super Task Killer Free prevent processes and programs from draining your phone's battery in the background. Just download the program and set it up to run automatically.
After that, just refresh and enjoy the extra hours of battery life
11) Lock Access to Other Apps
Okay, we all know that's impossible. What you can do, though, is lock down the use of other apps on the phone – something essential for mobile service.
You can block access to WhatsApp, Tinder, Gmail, Cartola, and every other app downloaded on your phone using nothing more and nothing less than… yes, an app!
That way, if you use phones for mobile service in restaurants, nightclubs or bars, you'll stop your staff from using the devices for anything other than serving customers. Beyond streamlining service, you get your team focused 100% on what needs to be done, without compromising the performance of the device being used!
The app is called AppLock, and it's incredibly simple to use. Just download it onto the device, set the access password (this password is what lets you enable or disable lock mode) and pick which apps need to be “disabled”. There's also the option of using biometrics instead of the password, but that's entirely up to you and whether the device supports it!
By locking the phone down, you can be confident the device is only being used for mobile service at your business, whether it's a restaurant, bar, nightclub or shop. On top of that, the device's speed, memory and battery will be optimized so orders go through correctly using the EPOC Cloud app. Remember: when you set up your venue's infrastructure for this, dedicate a network exclusively to service. That way, system errors like duplicate or incomplete orders won't happen.
If you follow all the steps above, the device you buy to use for service at your business will undoubtedly keep the same level of performance. That way, you make sure that service at your bar, restaurant, shop or whatever your operation may be feels like day one, every day!
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest in technology, management, operations and business automation!
