One of the worst feelings is streaming your favorite show on Netflix or Youtube, and your video begins to buffer! Unfortunately, an iPad or Android tablet that is running slow on your internet connection is more common than you think… but fixable. In this article, we’ll be talking about how to increase your internet speed or clear up your tablet so it’s running smoothly.
If you’re using your tablet for college lectures or planning to use it for work on the go, then you’ll want to read on to fix your tablet. Let’s get right down to business.
Why Is Your Tablet Slowing Down In the First Place?
Before we can tackle the steps on how to fix your slow tablet, let’s break down how or why your tablet is not working while it has an internet connection. There can be several factors that can contribute to your tablet slowing down, including:
- Your tablet’s storage is full
- Your tablet’s RAM is being used up by something
- A virus or piece of malware has affected your tablet
- Your internet speed is being slowed by your internet provider
If your tablet is being used by one of your family members to play games or browse the internet, they may have also picked up a virus on your computer. Another common reason is that your tablet’s storage is being used up by something, making your connection speed extremely slow.
How Get Stop Your Tablet Running Slow On Wifi
No matter why your tablet is running slow on your internet speed, sometimes it’s not a slow internet speed that’s causing it. We’ll be covering the 5 best tips for improving your tablet’s efficiency while it runs, so if you’re planning to read comics or play Roblox later – set those aside and read on!
Scan Your Tablet For Viruses/Malware
The very first thing you should do to stop your tablet from running slow on wifi is to scan it for viruses/malware. If you regularly browse the internet or you have a family member who does so, then there’s always a chance that you picked up a virus along the way.
This is the case whether you have an Android device or iPad, and it’s not easy to spot them visually. Viruses usually run as background apps that mess with your mobile data, internet speeds, and other files The easiest way to know is if your tablet is suddenly slow when running apps like Adobe Illustrator.
The best fix is to download antivirus software and do a full scan of your system – you’ll be surprised to discover what you find.
Check If Your Tablet Needs To Be Updated
One of the most common causes for your tablet to have its processing power stilted is not updating the operating system regularly. If your tablet is not updated, then an older operating system could be the cause of it.
This can also be the case if you have an older or inexpensive tablet, and you’ll know for sure if apps on your devices like ABC Mouse or Youtube are slow to start. You can check if your tablet needs to have its software updated by checking its settings, but if it doesn’t need to be updated then something else may be the issue…
Close Or Uninstall Unnecessary Apps
Another issue that is a common perpetrator of slowing down your Android or iPad device is that your device is inundated with unused apps. Too many apps on your device can cause it to perform worse while it’s on or off the wi-fi connection.
Your best bet in the case of having too many installed apps on your phone is to remove them. Take a look at all the apps that you have, and when the last time that you used them – you can easily do this in the Settings app on your phone.
Uninstall any apps you don’t use or recognize and you’ll soon see your performance pick up thanks to the additional storage space. We recommend keeping apps you use like Netflix and any work-related apps if you’re in fields like 3D modeling or engineering.
Another trick you can use is to double-tap or navigate to your open apps and close them promptly. Too many apps open at once will drain the RAM of your tablet and also potentially cause a drop in performance.
Force Restart Or Reset Your Tablet
One of the last things you can do to increase performance on your tablet while it’s on network speed is to restart your tablet. Soft resetting your tablet in this way may alleviate any potential wi-fi speed pain points, relieve any programming errors, and increase how your tablet runs while on wifi.
This can be the winning formula but doesn’t always work. If you’re planning to be working on your laptop, either during your job like engineering, or studying with Google Classroom, then a factory reset may be the necessary stop to take.
Factory resets bring your computer back to factory settings and will remove all the data, apps, and settings you’ve changed while using it. If you do decide to use this measure of last resort, always make sure that your important information like photos, passwords, and documents is sent over to another device.
Once you’ve factory reset your tablet, it should run as well as it did when you first bought it unless there’s something wrong with the internal components. If it’s still giving your trouble, check out our final step to fixing it.
Investigate Your Router & Internet Provider
Your tablet may be running slow while on wifi because of your internet service provider. There are a few ways to check if something fishy is happening with your internet speed. The first thing is to run a speed test.
A speed test is a test to determine the speed of the internet connection you’re receiving on your device. You can use a speed test app like Ookla to see how many megabytes or gigabytes of data is being transmitted to your device – if it’s lower than what you’re paying for then it’s worth calling up your service provider to complain.
Otherwise, it can also be the fault of your router. The best way to tell if the router is the problem is if the other devices that are connected to it are also acting strangely. Make sure to check your other devices, like your daughter’s drawing tablet or your son’s iPad mini.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, these five tips have given you enough to go off of to fix your tablet running slow on wifi. If not, then we recommend taking a look through our frequently asked questions to get a clearer idea of what you can do to get improved speed on your Android tablet or iPad.
But if you’ve found that your problems are resolved, then check out our articles about the top inexpensive tablets you can buy for your kids!
Why is my tablet so slow on the internet?
There are numerous reasons for your tablet to be slow on the internet, whether it’s a slow internet connection or a lagging tablet speed.
There’s a chance that your tablet may be malfunctioning due to a virus or a piece of malware that you’ve downloaded. Otherwise, your tablet may be overwhelmed with apps that are tacking up storage.
If you use your tablet to stream video, this will likely be the case. Adding external ports to the tablet and connecting it to a keyboard may also cause it to malfunction if it’s incompatible.
Why does my tablet struggle with Wifi?
If you have a tablet struggling to connect to your wifi network, there are a couple of things you can do to fix this.
First, check that your tablet is not malfunctioning. A malfunctioning tablet will have trouble connecting to your wi-fi signal as well as be unable to perform other tasks efficiently. Another reason that your tablet may be struggling with connecting to the wi-fi is the distance to the router.
Finally, your router could be the element that is malfunctioning too – it’s worth bringing it up with your service provider.
If you’re interested in learning about the best tablets for Cricut Explore Air 2 or the top Windows tablets that are under $500, we’ve written about those too!
How can I speed up Wifi on my tablet?
We’ve covered five tips for your making most tablets perform better but here’s a quick breakdown:
- Removing any malware or viruses that are on your tablet can quicken your tablet’s performance.
- Ensure that your tablet is up to date with its software. If not, update it to the latest system and new widgets that come with it.
- Make sure to close all your active apps that aren’t being used, and delete any unneeded files or unused apps.
- Restart your tablet or reset your tablet to factory settings.
- Contact your internet service provider to inquire about your slow wifi and wireless network router. Restarting your router is also viable.
These tips will work no matter what type of tablet you have and can be easily completed to potentially stop your Apple or Android tablets from working. If members of your family that are older are struggling with these same issues, there’s a chance it may be several of these issues.
Parting Shot/Conclusion
And that’s about it! Hopefully, you’ve learned a lot about improving your tablet’s performance when connected to your wi-fi network and otherwise. If your tablet is still not working after enacting our tips, we recommend that you check out your tablet’s tech giants for more information.
If you have a Samsung tablet or Android tablet in general, you can stop by your local tech store. If you have an iPad or other Apple tablet, Geek Squad should be your go-to.
If you want to learn more, check out our articles about the best tablets for 8-year-olds and the best tablet for artists.
Writer Graham Grieve brings two decades of technical communications experience to The Holy Tech coverage. Isaac contributes articles on laptops, tablets and PCs, alongside various software and hardware guides. Isaac is a former newspaper journalist who also worked in tech communications for some of the country’s biggest corporations. He also counsels and creates material for other technology publications and hosts a podcast.
Isaac’s in-depth reporting and knowledge of hardware and software issues helps The Holy Tech’s readers learn how to choose the right products, or solve tricky problems.