Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there are only two ways to speed up the internet on your Android phone;
- Switch from WiFi to mobile data, or visa versa,
- Upgrade to a phone or plan with 5G
It is true that phones don’t always run at peak efficiency but for the most part that has nothing to do with your internet connection, it has to do with the phone itself. You can definitely speed up your phone’s performance but none of these tips and tricks will turn your lower-spec device into a premium powerhouse.
Many of our suggestions below are focused around data-saving options. These make your usual browsing less data intensive which means you’ll save GB and cut back on load times. They don’t however make your internet faster- you’re just using it more efficiently.
Quick steps to speed up internet on an Android smartphone
How to speed up the internet on your Android
Unfortunately as all us Australians know, sometimes using 4G is significantly faster than using your home WiFi. If you’re browsing on your phone and notice that there is more lag than you’re used to then it might be worth switching between the two.
Alternatively, if you’re after a more permanent and less exacerbating solution you can look at upgrading to a 5G phone plan. While 5G is nowhere near ubiquitous across the country as of yet, if you happen to frequent 5G covered areas it is a solid way to up the download speeds on your Android device.
Check if your area is covered using our coverage map below.
You’ll also need to be using a 5G device. As of 2021 all of Samsung’s flagship phones have 5G, and cheaper Android powered options have begun to crop up from OPPO, TCL, and Motorola.
For now, 5G SIM plans are mostly available through the main three telcos but Spintel also has a couple. Optus has been the only provider to open up 5G access to MVNOs but these smaller telcos are yet to take up the gauntlet. This unfortunatley means that you'll need to pay more dearly for 5G coverage. These are the most popular 5G plans available at the moment.
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#1
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SpinTel 
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#2
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Boost Mobile 
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#3
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Tangerine Telecom 
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#4
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Dodo 
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#5
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Swoop 
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#6
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Optus 
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#7
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TPG 
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Link not supplied
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#8
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felix mobile 
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#9
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Boost Mobile
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#10
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Vodafone 
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Download lighter versions of apps
Developers have released "light" versions of their apps designed to run faster and use less data. Since they're using less data, you're downloading less, which in turn will make your phone feel faster.
These stripped down versions of your favourite apps are generally seen on devices using Android Go, which is made for less powerful devices. But you can also download them directly from Google Play.
Turn on data saver mode in Chrome
On the subject of reducing data usage, Chrome - the default browser for Android - has an optional data saving mode. To turn this on, follow the steps below:
- Open Chrome
- Tap the menu icon in the top right hand corner
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to Data Saver and tap it
- Switch the toggle to on
Data Saver uses Google servers to compress pages before you visit them, which will in turn make them fast to load. And as a bonus, your precious data will last even longer!
Use an adblocking browser
Another way to speed up your Android internet experience is to use an adblocking browser. Once again, this is about saving data. Ads can easily make up half of a website's file size, so if you’re not downloading ads, a site could theoretically load twice as fast.
If you want to give adblocking on Android a shot, you'll need to download a third party browser. We recommend Opera, which blocks all ads out of the box. Opera also compresses image files, which should further speed up your browsing experience.
Disable, delete, or uninstall unused apps and widgets
Most apps and widgets are relatively benign, but some use up a tonne of data while they run in the background.
The first step is to remove any widgets from your home screens that you don’t use. These are usually the biggest offenders and are easy to ditch. Just tap and hold on the widget and slide it up to the Remove icon at the top of the screen. This will not delete the widget, but remove it from the home screen and cause it to be inactive.
To delete an app - linked with a widget or otherwise - you need to open your app drawer. In most cases you can tap and hold down on the app you want to uninstall and then drag it to the top right hand corner of your screen.
It is however worth noting that some apps can't be deleted. These apps are placed on your phone by the manufacturer, by Google or by your carrier. You'll just have to leave these to their own devices.
Check your network settings
If you're having severe internet trouble, then you might need to check your settings. These steps my vary slightly from device to device, but this process will let you make sure that your device hasn't been restricted to 3G speeds.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Network & Internet
- Tap Mobile network
- Tap Preferred Network type
- Here, you'll want to make sure that you've got 4G or 5G selected
If your device was set to 3G rather than 4G, changing over to 4G may take up to 30 seconds to come into effect (assuming you're in an area with 4G connectivity).
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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