A browser can slow down on both iPhone and Android, and it’s not always because you have a slow phone. Here are some simple steps to make the internet faster on your phone.

How fast should your phone be?

Before we talk about how to make your mobile Internet faster, it’s worth considering how fast it should be. Your mobile device will have a set speed; this is the 3G, 4G, and now 5G identification that comes with every mobile device.

Note that the number doesn’t refer to a set speed (e.g. 3G does not equal 3 GB), but rather a standard. 3G is the third generation cell service standard, 4G is the fourth, and so on. The higher the number, the faster your Internet speed.

How fast is each standard? In general, 3G delivers download speeds between 0.5 and 5 megabits per second (mbps); 4G delivers speeds up to 100 mbps for downloads; and 5G could (in theory) be 100 times faster, up to 100 gigabits per second. As you can see, the standards don’t increase by any set amount, but there’s an exponential increase in speed with each one.

If the Internet is slow on your phone, first check that you’re on the highest standard available in your area, and that you have good cellular signal strength. Beyond that, here are some simple ways to improve your phone’s Internet speed.

Reboot your router

If you notice that your phone seems to work fine in other places but slows down at home, it could be a hardware issue. Turn your router off and on again to reset your Internet connection, then try an Internet speed test to measure it. Move closer to your router, or consider upgrading your equipment.

Delete or restrict apps

A quick look at your apps settings should display how much data each app is using. If you notice that you have old apps still running, delete them to free up storage and reduce the load on your battery; it’ll help speed things up as well reduce the bandwidth your phone is using. You can also prioritize apps that do this naturally.

To take this a step further, you should audit all the apps on your phone, and how much data each is using. Beware of very old apps, or copycat apps that mimic popular apps but secretly steal your data and browsing info. These are a major security risk, and also use a lot of Internet bandwidth.

Restrict background processes

Some apps may continue to run or download updates in the background, which can slow down your browsing speeds. If you have access to developer options, you should be able to restrict the number of background processes that are running.

Perform a factory reset

If nothing else seems to work, you can try a full factory reset. This wipes all apps and data off your phone, restoring things to the way they were when you first got your phone. This is an extreme option, so be sure to back everything (like pictures) beforehand.

Upgrade your browser

Your web browser likely accounts for most of your Internet use. Giving it an overdue upgrade can dramatically increase your Internet speeds. Brave is built around one idea: your data belongs to you. Brave uses Shields to stop unwanted ads and block trackers. Each tracker blocked is one less thing to load on a webpage, resulting in load times that are 3x faster than Chrome.

Faster Internet isn’t the only thing Brave offers, but it is one of the most important. Brave reimagines the Internet to respect your privacy and speed up your browsing. Curious? Download Brave today and discover a better Internet.