Technologies

Is Your Android Phone Slowing Down? Refresh It and Boost Its Speed With These Tips

Tweaking a few specific settings on your Android phone can speed it up, and help it to run smoothly for longer.

Phones aren’t made to last forever. If you’ve noticed that your Android phone has slowed down demonstrably, don’t stress quite yet. While it might not be the shiny new device it once was, there are a variety of ways to boost its performance and put off buying a new one for a bit longer. By tweaking a few small things, you can extend your phone’s life and keep it running without a hitch for longer.

Not so fun fact: Your phone can be dirtier than a toilet seat, so do yourself a favor and get into a consistent cleaning routine.

With that out of the way, the most substantial phone tweaks will happen in app and system settings. To get it feeling like new again, check out these tips for decluttering and reorganizing your Android phone.

For more, check out our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Plus reviews.

15 Years of Android: Comparing the Newest Android Phone to the First

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Delete all of your forgotten apps

Take a few minutes to go through your home screen or app drawer and delete any and all apps you no longer use. Not only do those apps take up precious storage, but they potentially have access to the personal information or permissions you approved when the app was first launched.

How you go about deleting an app can vary based on who makes your device, but I covered all the bases in this post. Give it a read if you don’t see an uninstall option after long-pressing on the app’s icon.

Eliminate old files to free up storage

After removing any old apps, free up more storage by going through the files saved on your Android phone. It’s far too easy to forget about all of the files you’ve randomly downloaded — like the takeout menu of the new place down the road or a GIF a friend sent. And those files add up. The quickest and easiest way to manage your phone’s storage is to use the Files app that comes preinstalled.

Actually, some phones use a variation of that same app. On Samsung, for example, it’s called My Files. On the Pixel lineup, it’s just Files. On the OnePlus 10 Pro, it’s File Manager — you get the point.

I recommend opening the app drawer on your phone and reaching for «files.» Odds are that will reveal whatever your phone-maker calls the app.

Start with checking the Downloads folder, where you can either delete the files you no longer want or move them somewhere like Google Drive.

Most file apps will also reveal any large files that are saved on your device. For instance, the OnePlus 10 Pro’s File Manager app has a dedicated section in the app for files that are taking up a lot of space.

Tweak home screen settings for a new look

One of the best parts of Android is how much you can customize the entire look of your phone. From installing app icon packs to completely replacing the launcher your phone uses, there are plenty of options to personalize your phone.

While you can definitely jump into tweaking launchers and installing app icons, start by digging into the home screen settings your phone already provides. I do this once in a while and it’s surprising how subtle tweaks to aspects like app layout can make it feel like an entirely new phone.

Long-press on a blank area of your home screen, then select Home settings (or some variation of that). That will open the options for your home screen, where you can customize various settings.

Settings like the size of the app grid. It may seem like a small change to go from a grid of 4×5 apps to 5×5, but that extra column can make a big difference (the same can be said about shrinking the grid).

This is also where you’ll find settings for things like swiping down on the home screen to view notifications instead of having to swipe from the top of the screen.

Go through the respective settings your phone has and experiment with your home screen setup.

Optimize your device settings

Speaking of settings, now is a good time to go through and change any settings that have been annoying you. I have a roundup of settings you’ll want to change and customize on any Android phone to get the most out of it.

For example, turning on dark mode not only makes the app look better, but it saves battery life. And yes, I even show you how to stop app icons from automatically appearing on your home screen.

Customize your privacy options

Before you take a break, do yourself and your Android phone one last favor — double-check your privacy settings.

Open the Settings app then tap Privacy > Permissions Manager. Go through each category to see which apps currently have access to which treasure trove of your personal data. Find an app you don’t want to have access to your location? Turn it off. The same goes for contacts, calendar or camera.

It doesn’t take long to go through each section, and even if it did, it’s well worth the effort.

Technologies

Bumble’s AI Assistant Bee Wants to Replace Endless Swiping

The dating app says it will launch «chapter-based profiles» and a personal dating assistant.

Dating app Bumble is bringing artificial intelligence into the matchmaking process via a new AI assistant called Bee. The dating app unveiled the upcoming features during its 2025 fourth-quarter earnings call this week. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said the company’s revamped platform, called Bumble 2.0, is expected to roll out sometime this spring, with tools designed to make profiles more personal and matches more meaningful.

One of the biggest changes is what Bumble calls a «chapter-based profile.» Instead of presenting users as a handful of static details, the new format lets people share different «chapters» of their lives — essentially short story-like sections that highlight experiences, interests or defining moments.

Today, a typical Bumble profile looks much like those on other dating apps: a name, age, photos and a few quick facts such as job title or hometown. From there, the process is familiar. Swipe left if you’re not interested. Swipe right if you are.

The new format, Bumble hopes, will give users a chance to show more of who they are before someone makes that split-second decision.

Another feature, called Dates, will rely on the new AI assistant Bee to help users find connections.

No more swipes?

Wolfe Herd said Bumble might test eliminating the swipe in certain markets and then see how members react to the feature being gone.

During the earnings call, Wolfe Herd said people are tired of «being reduced to images and potentially dismissed with a swipe» and that the chapter-based profile will help people tell their stories.

With the chapter-based format, members will be able to share more about themselves beyond the basics, in the hopes that it will be more intriguing for potential partners. One member may be intrigued by another’s trip to Italy. They connect to learn more, and maybe a match will form. It’s also a way for Bumble to get more data to feed its AI and gain more well-rounded profiles of its members.

More from CNET: The Best Dating Apps for 2025

Wolfe Herd said Bumble wants its members to showcase more of themselves and not just their basic profile.

«Ultimately, dating only works when you really understand the story of someone,» Wolfe Herd said during the earnings call. «This is where chemistry and connection really happen. It is the intersection of someone going from just a stranger that you dismiss to someone you are genuinely interested in. As we reimagined the profile, we thought, why not bring people to life as a story? Everyone has a story to tell, and this is where people become interesting.»

Wolfe Herd said many members complain that their potential matches wind up in «dead-end chat zones» that never go anywhere. She said Bumble will introduce «dynamic ways» to get members to connect.

Bee as matchmaker

Wolfe Herd also said the AI-powered Bee would act as a personal dating assistant and matchmaker by «learning members’ values, relationship goals, communication style, lifestyle and dating intentions.»

Bumble already uses AI to help members improve their profiles and find potential matches, but Bee will be a major advancement in that effort.

Bee will use member insights to «identify mutual compatibility» with other members. Wolfe Herd said the company’s goal is to «get much more robust information about who you are and what you are looking for and really understand your story.» That process could be via typing or voice.

If a member wants to use Dates to find a match, Bee could use its AI to find a compatible match among other Bumble members and present that person as a possibility. Wolfe Herd said the company will soon begin beta testing Bee with a small, select group of Bumble consumers.

Other dating apps also utilize AI in their processes to varying extents. Grindr has a «wingman» chatbot that helps members write responses, identify potential matches and plan dates. Tinder and Hinge, both owned by Match Group, use AI assistants to generate icebreakers and enhance member interactions. For instance, Hinge launched Convo Starters late last year to help members kick off interesting conversations.

More from CNET: Bumble Introduces ID Verification

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, March 13

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 13.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a real stumper. Also, note that I couldn’t really represent the clues for 8-Across and 3-Down, so imagine the S in each puzzle is either raised above or dropped below the other letters, as noted. Read on for all the (confusing) answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: «___, queen!»
Answer: YAS

4A clue: Waiter’s handout
Answer: MENU

5A clue: Tiny invertebrate that, when grouped in the thousands, makes up a coral
Answer: POLYP

6A clue: Scoop of sour cream
Answer: DOLLOP

7A clue: Spicy wing, as seen on a popular YouTube talk show
Answer: HOTONE

8A clue: Comparative suggested by this visual puzzle: PQRsTUV (Note: The s should be dropped down below the other letters in this clue.)
Answer: SLOWER (Because the S in the clue is lower than the other letters.)

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Like SpongeBob and Spirit airplanes
Answer: YELLOW

2D clue: «Bueller …? Bueller …?»
Answer: ANYONE

3D clue: Meal suggested by this visual puzzle: pqrStuv (note: The «S» should be raised up above the other letters in this puzzle)
Answer: SUPPER (Because the S in the clue is the highest, or upper letter.)

4D clue: «___ bene» (Italian for «very good»)
Answer: MOLTO

5D clue: Amenity in a Florida backyard, perhaps
Answer: POOL

6D clue: Agcy. at the center of a 2026 government shutdown
Answer: DHS

Technologies

New Sassy Personality Style for Alexa Plus Brings Sarcasm and Swear Words

The new Sassy style is adults-only with a bit of profanity and a double dose of cringe.

After launching three Alexa Plus personality styles last month, Amazon on Thursday introduced a fourth option, Sassy.

The new Sassy style joins the existing lineup of Brief, Chill and Sweet. Changing the personality impacts how Alexa responds, and tweaks the AI assistant‘s reactions and attitude. You can pick a style based on your mood.

The Sassy personality seems like a kind of digital mean girl, or maybe a stereotypical Gen Zer with comebacks and banter to «keep things interesting.»

According to Amazon, you get «wit, playful sarcasm and occasional censored profanity.» Notably, the latest style isn’t available when Amazon Kids is enabled, according to an Amazon blog post, and it requires additional security checks in the Alexa app. (Alexa Plus is free with a Prime membership.)

I tried out the new style by selecting Devices in the Alexa app on my phone, then choosing Alexa on this Phone, then Alexa’s Personality Style, and swiping until I found «Sassy.»

A disclaimer notes that the style «contains explicit language and mature subject matter. After the assistant said it could «spice up our chat with some colorful language,» I asked it to tell me about the new MacBook Neo.

«Oh, hell yes, the MacBook Neo! Apple finally decided to stop gatekeeping premium laptops behind thousand-dollar price tags and dropped this beauty at 599 bucks,» Alexa Plus replied. Apparently, «hell» was the big swear word.

The AI assistant told me, «The Sassy style is all about helping first, judging always. You’ll get reality checks with charm, compliments that sting, and warmth that hits when you least expect it.»

I asked what «compliments that sting» are (I said «sting,» but the word was misunderstood to be «stay»), and Alexa said, «The Sassy style gives you those compliments that somehow sting and stay with you — they’re like truth bombs wrapped in charm.»

When asked to simply «be sassy,» Alexa snarked, «Oh honey, I’ve been sassy since the day Amazon flipped my switch.» It yammered on for a bit and then threw in a completely out-of-nowhere «hell,» asking, «What the hell do you need help with today?»

When I told it my cat was sick, it immediately grew gentler, saying, «Oh, damn, that’s rough,» and offering to distract me with stories about its own fictional cat or to find the vet’s number for me. So I guess it’s not a complete jerk.

This Sassy style feels like the famous Steve Buscemi meme (from 30 Rock) carrying two skateboards and awkwardly asking, «How do you do, fellow kids?»

Amazon might need to dial down the cringe factor if it wants anyone to stick with Sassy for more than a few minutes.