android performance – PSafe Blog

5 Ways to Turbo Charge Your Smartphone’s Internet Speed

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:00:17 +0000

The Internet has become a part of our everyday lives, many of us grabbing our smartphones to check our email before we even step out of bed in the morning. With such a digitally connected life, it’s essential that your internet keep up with your life. If you find yourself waiting for waiting for pages to load or game servers to connect, it might be time to see how your speed can be improved.

Here are 5 ways to speed up your slow internet connection and bring your smartphone’s sluggish performance into the 21st century.

It May Not Be Your Phone, But Your Plan
First, let’s talk about the least desirable option and get it out of the way. It’s essential to ensure that your current Internet provider is delivering speeds that you need daily. If you’re skimping by on the cheapest plan and expect to stream Netflix films in 4K, you might need to reconsider your options. Using a free website such as SpeedTest.Net to determine your current Internet speed and have a better understanding of upload and download speeds is a good start.

Chrome or Firefox?
One of the most wonderful features that the Android platform has to offer is choice, and that applies to your web browser too. Due to the nature of Android operating systems, web browsers can vary significantly in speed. Implement different approaches to web browsing. If you find your device is doing fine with Internet speeds in most apps, but web browsing itself is a problem, consider an alternative web browser.

Apps are a Space Hog
Another possible reason internet is moving at a turtle’s pace is due to background apps also attempting to access the web at the same time. You might have a game downloading a patch, an app checking refreshing content, or the system performing an update. An easy solution to this problem is using an optimization app, one that does the work for you. dfndr performance has an accelerate internet feature, which automatically closes down background apps with a tap and increases your Internet speed.

Ensure Your WiFi is Top Notch
If you’re using your smartphone at home, there’s a good chance you’re on a private WiFi network. But if your network is in poor condition, you can’t expect that to translate into lighting fast speeds. Ensure your router is placed in a central open area of the house and that the model you’re using is current and supports at least wireless ‘N’ standards. Lastly, if you still having an issue, try unplugging both the modem and router for 30 seconds to give your network an easy reboot.

Just as humans age, our smartphones also age over time and can start to slow down. There are various reasons for the decline in performance including an outdated operating system, slow internal chips that can’t handle modern content, and older software that has become bogged down over the years.

Consider this thought: if your smartphone isn’t acting too ‘smart’ any longer, it might be time to buy a new one.

Ugh, Sluggish WiFi? Here’s How to Fix It

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:00:43 +0000

Has your WiFi been slower than usual lately? There could be a number of reasons why your router has been lagging as there are downfalls to modern routers and the places where you get online. One good way to check how fast your Internet is and whether your WiFi has been having any issues is through dfndr security’s wifi check feature, which can help solve this problem.

Here are some reasons why your Internet connection may be slower than usual.

Your Equipment Is Outdated
It possible that you’re still using yesterday’s hardware to power your WiFi today. Learn more about your router as “AC” routers offer the latest technology, while “B,” “G” and “N” models need to be updated. The bottom line is that they ensure your Internet is faster than with other models, while also offering more features.

The maximum spectral bandwidth of N routers is only 4 x 40MHz, while AC routers have it at 8 x 160MHz.

Is Your Router Behind an Ikea Shelf, Rethink That
This may seem like an odd one but the location of your router may affect its performance. If there are objects blocking your router in relation to where you use the Internet, that can affect performance. The tip: place it in an unobstructed area. Also, placing your router as high as possible helps it broadcast far and wide in your home.

The same applies for distance–if you’re too far away from your router, your WiFi may be considerably slower than usual.

Use an Iron-Clad Password
If you use an easy password to guess or no password at all for WiFi, it can be easy for Internet thieves to gobble up your WiFi, which will slow it down considerably. Don’t let this happen and always change the factory default password of your router. If you want to CSI your router history, use a program called WiFi History View that displays every device that’s accessed your online connection.

Microwave Popcorn Messes Up WiFi?!
This is a rare one but it’s possible that microwaves are able to interfere with your router if you have an old one. Both WiFi waves and microwaves operate on 2.4 GHz, and they can potentially overlap with each other. The same concept applies to Bluetooth as this connection also travels on 2.4 GHz.

Finally, Christmas lights can cause issues as the lights may emit an electromagnetic field that interferes with your WiFi. Take those down fast after the holiday season is over!

Check Security Settings Frequently
Sometimes, fixing slow Internet boils down to changing your settings. Having an Open network or using WEP could slow your bandwidth due to the fact that these types of networks aren’t secured. By having an unsecured network, others can steal your WiFi or hack it easily.

You should also avoid WPA and TKIP settings as these are old protocols that lack security. Stick with WPA2 and AES, which are newer, more secure settings that will boost your WiFi speed.

Pump Up Your Gaming in 2018

PSafe Newsroom — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 12:00:09 +0000

The gaming world is as exciting in 2018 as it’s ever been, but Android devices are not always capable of churning out the processing power necessary to fire up a game. There are apps out there that help improve a device’s gaming performance without a hassle, such as dfndr performance, which has a game booster feature to ramp up your gaming.

The game booster tool frees RAM memory from other apps to optimize your gaming experience, helping your games run faster. Here are some other tips you should try to pump up your Android’s gaming ability.

Ramp Up Gaming with ‘memory booster’
It’s of paramount importance that your phone is running on all cylinders in order to improve the speed at which you game, while also reducing lag time. The ‘memory booster’ feature from the dfndr app helps turn your device into a gaming computer by allowing you to close background apps that are running in order to free up RAM memory. This functionality can help you avoid crashes or freezes.

The Hidden ‘Developer Options’ Setting
You could also boost your gaming ability through a hidden Android setting called ‘Developer Options.’ In order to access it, go to the Settings screen, then hit the About phone option at the bottom and click on it. Then, find the Build number and tap it a few times, which will show you a notification that says “You are now 3 steps away from being a developer.” Tap it several times more and then the device will say that you’re a developer.

In the Developer options, there’s a hidden setting that is capable of improving your gaming performance. Scroll down and find the Force 4x MSAA (multi-sample anti-aliasing) option, which ensures that your games will be rendered at their best possible quality because it ensures your device operates at its highest power.

A Solid Pair of Gaming Headphones
There are a number of gaming headphones that can enhance your gaming needs such as the Turtle Beach Earforce M3, as these lightweight headphones offer an immersive gaming experience thanks to their high-quality audio capabilities.The Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset is another solid choice, which improves the sound of your favorite apps.

Try this Bluetooth Game Controller
Another great way to bolster your game experience is a controller that makes you feel as if you’re playing on a console. The Steel Series Stratus XL has the right weight for your Android gaming needs as it is not too heavy and it looks like an Xbox controller. It has two joysticks, a d-pad and the four main action buttons (A,B,X,Y). A pretty rad way to up gameplay.

Your Dying Android Smartphone Needs a Bit of Spring Cleaning

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:00:47 +0000

Your phone has enjoyed the winter, eating mounds of turkey, not worrying about mowing the lawn, and drinking as much hot chocolate as it desired – or wait, was that you? Ah, yes, your smartphone – the gadget in your pocket – it’s also been working hard tackling endless holiday photos, downloading the season’s latest apps, and researching the perfect recipe for cranberry sauce.

With all that work being carried out by your smartphone, it might be time for a bit of cleaning – a fantastic start to the spring season! Here are some tips to get you started on your journey and speed up your device.

Remove Those Duplicate Photos and Videos
We all love grandpa, but do we really need twenty different photos and videos of him carving the turkey? No doubt, after a long holiday season, our smartphones are stuffed more than the holiday bird. Take the time to delete duplicate files from your device and free up some extra space. Not only will your device’s overall speed increase, but you’ll have more room for those epic spring photos you have planned – you know, of the blooming nature and beautiful sunsets.

Delete Your Once Used Holiday Apps
How many new applications did you download this season? Six different cooking and recipe apps so you could impress your mom, along with that gigantic app your nephew needed to download to control his new robot toy. Now that the season has passed, it’s time to ditch those holiday focused apps. Deleting applications will free up more space on your device, and clear up background resources. The result? A faster device with less loading time and your nephew can always redownload his app when he remembers that $300 toy he played with for five minutes.

Update to Ring in the Spring
You’ve had more important things to do this winter season than update your phone – Mariah Carey singing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ live when the New Year’s ball dropped, for instance. But, now that the holiday is over and Mariah’s been packaged away for another 365 days, you should take the opportunity to update your device. Head to your Android’s settings to download the latest software. Not only can an upgrade fix security flaws within your device, but new tweaks can improve your device’s overall performance.

Quickly Boost That Phone
If your phone is feeling sluggish and bogged down, download an enhancement app such as dfndr performance for Android; it features abilities such as a memory booster feature to stop resource hogging applications, which will free up RAM and helps prevent crashes or lags.

And that’s all she wrote. Take some time to follow these steps, so your favorite pocketable friend is will be a bit faster and you can be ready for what new adventures lay ahead – like your actual spring cleaning!

Is Your Phone Constantly Overheating? Read This

PSafe Newsroom — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 12:00:45 +0000

If your Android phone is constantly overheating and feels warm this could be problematic and might be a sign your phone could freeze or shut down while using it. Plus, the components of your device could become damaged if it’s constantly overheating. There are a number of ways you can cool down your device. One way is to use dfndr performance’s CPU Cooler feature:

A large usage problem is when you have multiple apps running in the background, contributing to overheating. The CPU Cooler feature allows you to close apps with one tap. Super, duper easy. Now here are some other ways you can cool down your phone when it overheats.

Slow Down That Gaming and Chatting
A common way devices overheat is when they are being overused, especially when graphic-intensive games and apps are constantly running on the device. These apps can eat at your phone’s RAM, CPU, and GPU, causing the battery to work harder than usual.

A good rule of thumb when playing games and using apps that hog your phone’s processing power is to take a 20- to 30-minute break every one to two hours after opening these apps.

Keep Those Apps Under Control
Another good solution to your problem is to make sure your apps are up to date. There’s a reason why apps need to be updated constantly–developers often find bugs in older versions of apps that could suck your device’s processing power and slow down its ability to operate. Make sure you update apps when prompted.

Also, consider uninstalling older apps or games that no longer suit you as these can slow down your RAM memory and make your phone hot, hot, hot!

Check the Pulse of Your Battery
One of the most common reasons devices overheat is due to faulty batteries. A way to check for this problem is to look at whether or not the back of your device is heating up more than the front. Also, most Android devices come with a feature that lets you check your battery health.

Go to your dial app where you make phone calls and type in *#*#4636#*#*. You will see a “Battery information” option that displays the health of your battery and its temperature. Its health should be “Good,” while your temperature should be between 25 to 40 degrees Celsius; anything above 40 is too high.

Charging It Full Seems Smart, Right?
Another sign of a faulty battery is if your device overheats when you charge it. Follow the instructions above if this is happening to you, but also make sure you’re not placing your phone at a spot where it’s not receiving any air. Android devices come with fans too, not just laptops and these only work when the fan isn’t blocked by a cushion or something else.

You should also make sure that you’re not charging your device while using apps with powerful graphics because that’s another way to cause overheating.

Remember: all these factors go to aging a device you rely on a lot and may not have the cash to replace batteries or buy a new phone, so the lesson here? Treat it nicely once in a while.

Why You Should Stop Taking Multiple Photos

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:00:54 +0000

Family events and social outings can be awesome times to take out your smartphone and start snapping away. Our photos allow us to look back and enjoy a moment once again. But, in our effort to preserve past events, are we killing our device’s future?

Taking photos in rapid succession not only fills up your phone’s storage, but you’re most likely not taking the opportunity for the perfect shot. Instead of waiting for that one well-shot photo, we take half a dozen that is half the standard.

Clear Out Your Duplicate Photographs
Begin to declutter your phone by removing the duplicate photos you’ve been storing on your device. Use something such as dfndr performance’s Duplicate Photos feature to identify and remove duplicates. And the best part? You get the choice to pick which pics to keep.

Don’t forget to empty the trash once your excess photos have been deleted – otherwise, they will just be sitting around continuing to take up space. Here are some additional tips on how to manage your smartphone photos.

Understand Cameras Better
Before you dive into a move zen approach of capturing the world around you, it’s important to remember that more modern up to date Android smartphones such as the Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG G6, and Huawei Mate 10 Pro, all deliver superb photographic performance. Mobile photos have received the short end of the stick in the past with poor sensors and slow lenses. These days, as long as you have sufficient light, you shouldn’t have to worry about your photos coming out blurry or full of digital noise.

Take a Breath Then Take The Shot
Set aside the rapid-fire approach that we have all become accustomed to in the digital age and think back to when, and if, you ever used a film camera. We took our time, we lined up our shot, and we took one photograph — why? Because we were always afraid of running out of film! We recommend carrying over the technique of concentration and trust within yourselves to capture more meaningful moments with better methods.

When you’re trying to capture your next photo, hold up your device and wait a moment. Look through the viewfinder, see where the edges of the photo lineup, and where your subject is. By using basic photography techniques, and a bit of patience you can take better photos while saving gigabytes of space on your smartphone.

The Essential Guide for Clean Your Computer Day

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 00:00:32 +0000

It’s essential to ensure that your computer is clean, but also your mobile devices need to stay healthy and clean for daily operation. We aren’t merely talking about dusting off the case for a bit of shine but also organizing the contents inside. If your device is being bogged down by old junk files then dfndr performance’s quick cleanup feature can help free up your internal memory and SD card storage.

However, that’s just the first step; here are some other tips to keep all your devices — computer and smartphone running at peak performance on Clean Out Your Computer Day:

Delete Duplicate Photos and Videos
We said it before, but it is worth repeating – remove any duplicates photos and videos that you no longer need on your device. We all know the scenario, at a party or gathering, hitting the photo button half a dozen times to capture the perfect shot. These duplicate shots quickly pile up, draining your smartphone’s storage. Clean out what you no longer need with a duplicate photo cleaner and your smartphone will thank you.

If you are completely drained of storage, consider a solution such as a Google Photos to keep your memories in the cloud for no cost. Do the same for your computer, clean out duplicate photos, or old ones and store them in an encrypted external hard drive.

Uninstall Apps You Don’t Use
What’s more significant than a photograph and more resource intensive? Hint: It’s your unused apps. Consider the last time you opened that obscure app for celebrity gossip or that app you used to gain entry for a limited time event last year. Apps can take up large amounts of space, quickly diminishing storage. These unused applications may be running in the background, slowly destroying your phone’s efficiency.

Clean Out Facebook Messenger
If you’re chatting with your friends and family via Facebook Messenger, there’s a good chance that you might need to clean out your device. dfndr security’s facebook messenger cleaner feature allows you to remove old, unwanted files that the messenger app may be leaving behind. You could gain extra storage and clean your smartphone by removing old videos, audio messages, and photos still lurking on your device.

Whip Out Some Compressed Air
While shining your computer or mobile device’s exterior won’t be a performance boost, ensuring that your device’s ports remain clean can affect functionality. If you have a laptop or desktop, use a can of compressed air to blow out dust from its vents. Poor cooling due to reduced airflow can cause your computer to slow itself down in certain situations.

Have a mobile device? Be sure to blow out the headphone jack (if your phone still has one), along with any other ports where your pocket lint may decide to hang out. These simple steps can help you easily avoid problems down the road.

4 Android Games That Will Make You Smarter

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 13:00:01 +0000

While some think that smartphones — and our constant need to be on them — are a downside of today’s society, there is a way for these devices to actually help our brains. Luckily for us, there are a variety of Android apps that serve as games that can actually train us to be smarter, all while we’re enjoying ourselves. Playing these games make it easier than ever to stay sharp. You can also take your gaming experience with these apps a step further by using dfndr security’s game booster feature to enhance your gameplay:

The game booster feature can can stop lagging by freeing up RAM memory to optimize and boost your phone. Keep reading to learn about all of the best games to train your brain and make you smarter. You’ll totally enjoy yourself as you play with these apps!

Elevate
This game is specifically designed to help train your brain to make you smarter. Playing is an invigorating experience, as it’s designed to improve attention, enhance speaking skills, accelerate processing speed, improve your math skills, and sharpen your memory. The app is smart enough to personalize each person’s training program, and it boasts over 40 games to boost cognitive skills.

Brainwell
This is another game that was created to help players train their brain to be smarter in their everyday life. Put your problem solving skills to the test and improve your attention to detail with the cognitive exercises in the fun games this app showcases. It’s designed for both kids and adults, making it a versatile download to your Android device.

PowerVocab
If you love word games and are looking to expand your vocabulary, this game is for you. It’s a free Android app that is made for those who love crosswords, Scrabble, or anything else of the sort. Using flashcards, this app helps to expand your vocabulary in a fun way. It’s a great tool for students preparing for tests like the SAT or GMAT, or for anyone that wants to keep their vocabulary sharp and growing.

Eidetic
Brain teasers are a great way to train your brain, and they’re always a fun puzzle to figure out. This app is both fun and challenging, with 98 levels and four bonus challenges. The difficulty levels on these challenges are between medium and difficult skill levels. One of the best parts of this game is that it’s free to download and doesn’t include in-app purchases, making it affordable to train your brain and to have fun while doing it!

The Top 3 Causes of Bad Phone Performance

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 23:00:37 +0000

When you get a new mobile phone, you probably love how sleek and smooth it is, how untouched the screen is by your fingerprints, and how quickly it operates. However, it’s unfortunately inevitable that over time, your phone’s performance seems to slow down as you collect more files and your apps bloat. One way to quickly down slim your apps is by using the app manager feature in dfndr security to remove apps you aren’t using. This feature allows you to pick and choose which apps to get rid of and overall, can help towards the speed and performance of your phone.

The following gets to the root of why your phone’s performance may not be up to snuff after you’ve used it for a while. These problems can be frustrating, but they’re not the end-all-be-all of a smoothly running device. Follow the below advice and you should be better equipped for a quick and smooth Android experience.

Bloated Apps
After continued use, apps are some of the worst offenders for affecting the performance of our Android devices. This is because of something called “feature creep,” where new features are continuously added to your individual apps via updates. This leads to apps eventually using up more RAM and CPU, as your phone hardware stays the same. That means a slower performance that you may even be able to notice over time. To reduce the lag that bloated apps can cause, you can start by replacing some of them with more “lightweight” apps like Facebook Lite. Since the most frequent offenders are social media apps, note-taking apps, and so on, this is a great place to start.

Background Apps
Even if you don’t realize it, apps may be running in the background of your device when you’re not actively using them, resulting in a slower or poorer performance on your phone. For example, your email app is checking for new messages even if you don’t physically have the app open. Even things like home screen widgets and animated wallpapers are culprits of these crimes. To help minimize this issue, check your device settings for which apps are using the most battery. From there, change the app’s individual settings so that they’re not refreshing in the background.

Operating System Upgrades
When you first bought your phone, it undoubtedly came with a specific operating system that has perhaps been upgraded time and time again since you first purchased the device. While these operating systems are certainly an upgrade, they were designed with the newer model phones in mind. Newer operating systems are likely to perform better with more advanced hardware. Thus, installing newer software on an older phone can result in a poorer performance.

Why Lagging Can Make or Break Your Gameplay

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 01:00:23 +0000

Lagging is one of the most annoying parts of playing any game on your device. Just a split second of lag can cause you to lose a level or die. If you want to keep lags from ruining your game time after time, take advantage of the Game Booster feature to improve your gameplay, without any lagging:

Game Booster allows for a better gaming experience by optimizing your gaming apps and preventing annoying things like lag during game play.

What Is Lag?
Lag is generally considered to be slowed computer or smartphone response time. If your device has slow application response time, that’s considered lag. This lag can be especially bad for gamers because it can be the difference between winning and losing. If you press a button to make your character jump to avoid danger, and your device lags so he jumps too late, lag is essentially what killed your character.

Lag can even cause the game to briefly pause, and when it unfreezes, your character will be in an entirely different place, causing you confusion. This also could be frustrating because your character could move to a dangerous spot after it unfreezes, which could cause death.

Some people would argue that every game you play has lag because your character doesn’t immediately perform the action right when you hit the button. There is always a fraction of a second of delay between the action and you pressing the button.

What Causes Lag?
Lag is usually caused by a slow cellular or Wi-Fi connection, or having too many apps downloaded on your computer or smartphone. If your device has a lot running in the background, then it will slow down all of your apps, including your gaming apps. Lag can even cause the game to slow to a stop, which causes many avid gamers to go crazy and become very upset.

In addition to using Game Booster to improve your gameplay, if you want to prevent lag when playing games, try finding a better Internet connection or else clearing any unused apps from your device with the App Manager feature. Click here to quickly remove unwanted apps in one screen:

Video games are so immersive, so when a game slows or stops completely, it can really take you out of the moment and cause frustration. This is why many online gamers will tell you that lag is their worst nightmare because it can make or break a game for them.