Ever experienced lag when launching or running apps? Or a crazy number of crashes? (Perhaps after you download an app, for example?) Well, there’s one thing you need to do that can help resolve the issue dramatically. It’s simple, basic, and absolutely no expertise is required.

Turn that device off! Seriously, you can do without it for 12 seconds, can’t you? When you power it back on, you may find that it runs more smoothly.

It’s like rebooting your computer — actually, that’s exactly what it is. Restarting your phone helps clear up the built-in memory, allowing programs to run more efficiently. Here’s the longer explanation, as explained by a developer:

“When you install an app (or update it), the unzipping of that app requires about 3x the size of the app in disk space to install, and the installer itself uses a lot of memory that it doesn’t give back properly. So if an app’s going to crash from memory problems, it’s invariably after an install of any app… Also, if you don’t power cycle once in a while you end up with fragged memory from Mail, Safari, iPod etc.”

If you’re wondering if the same scenario applies to both the iPod Touch and the iPad, the answer is yes. In fact, when it comes to the tablet, rebooting is even more crucial. The tablet’s memory is on par with the 3GS, yet it renders quadruple the vid resolution, meaning it uses four times the memory. Seriously, you’ve got to clear that out once in a while!

I know, it sounds like a “duh” solution, but it’s almost shocking how many users rarely (or never) manually turn off their phones. So if you didn’t already know this, be sure to take note. And if you did know, take it as a friendly reminder.

Now, if only a reboot was all it took to make the AT&T network smoother and more efficient too…

Via: Geek Culture

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UPDATE: You’re not going to believe this, but when my hubby read this post, he actually had to ask me how to turn off the iPhone. He’s had his for two years, and has never manually shut it down! And he’s a tech geek, so he has no excuse. (Love ya, honey!) So in case you’re in this boat too, just hit that button on the top right (the one to lock/put the screen to sleep), but instead of a quick tap, hold it down until you get the “slide to power off” window on the screen. Then just slide that, and your device will power down.

Photo via Taptaptap.com