How to Maintain Your Android Phone

Android phones can become slow and clunky with age, but these tips can help get your phone running like new again.

By Armando Rodriguez, PCWorld    Jun 27, 2012 6:30 am

Your Android phone is a powerful computer. But like any other computer, it won't run at its best without proper care and maintenance. If you've ever owned an Android phone, you probably noticed that it became slower after a few months of use than it was when you first brought it home from the store. There are several reasons for this phenomenon, and in this article I'll explain how to get your Android smartphone back into tip-top shape. You can accomplish a lot of what I'll be recommending here by performing a simple factory reset; but if you take that approach, you'll lose your data and have to reconfigure your phone. So instead, grab your Android phone and follow these steps to get it running like new again.

Clear the Cache

Android phone maintenance: Clearing the cache.Have an app that's always crashing? Rather than force-closing or uninstalling it, try clearing its cache. This simple step will help resolve most of the issues that troublesome apps may be experiencing--and it won't create new problems, as forcing the app to shut down might. To clear an application's cache, open the Settings menu on your phone and click Applications. Then select Manage Applications and tap the app that's been having problems. Don't worry--all of your data and settings will remain intact; you're just getting rid of temporary files that may be causing difficulties.

Uninstall Apps

Check your app drawer for apps you don't use or need.Even though it's my job to love apps (and I do love them), improperly written ones can cause all sorts of trouble for your Android phone. Built-in problems can range from storing critical data as a plain-text file in your memory card to sullying your notification bar with constant updates that can't be disabled.

Consider the official Facebook app: Opening it automatically turns on your GPS, in case you want to upload a photo or create a status update that shares your current location. That's fine and dandy, except that the app periodically forgets to turn off your phone's GPS once it's done using it, wasting precious battery power and leaving you scrambling for the nearest outlet. Even apps you aren't intentionally using may be running processes in the background that waste resources for no good reason.

Unfortunately, task killers are generally ineffective at combating this problem, so your only practical option is to open your app drawer and uninstall apps that you don't regularly use. Doing so will open up space on your phone for more music, videos, and pictures, and it will help reduce the number of apps that are running in the background.

Clean Out Your Memory Card

Cleaning out your SD Card may not boost your phone's performance, but it makes sense to remove any old or unused files that are just taking up space on the card. To identify the biggest hogs on your memory card, I recommend installing DiskUsage. This app shows you which files on your phone are taking up the most room, though you'll have to plug your phone into a computer or use a file browsing app (such as Astro) to delete the unneeded files.DiskUsage shows you what's on your SD Card.

You should do this whenever you uninstall applications, largely because some apps leave folders of data behind when they're uninstalled. If your phone is rooted, you can download the SD Maid appto automatically clear out old junk files. SD Maid also lets you freeze or remove any bloatware that came preinstalled on your smartphone--so you can finally get rid of the annoying Blockbuster app that continually asks you for updates.

Root Your Phone

If you don't mind voiding your warranty, rooting can breathe new life into an ancient Android phone. We've described how to root your Android phone countless times in the past, so you can refer to one of those guides when you're ready to walk through the actual process. A rooted phone gives you complete control over your Android device: You can remove unwanted bloatware, install root-only applications, and even load custom ROMs that change the look and feel of Android on your phone.

Another benefit of rooting is that you no longer have to depend on your carrier for Android updates. While everyone else is waiting for their phone to receive Android 4.0, you can probably find a ROM for your phone that will give you a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich a few weeks or months before the update officially appears.

Rooting isn't without its hazards, however, and a serious mistake can render your phone unusable. In my opinion, though, the benefits are worth the risks, especially if you have an older Android phone; it's definitely an option you should consider if you aren't satisfied with your current Android situation.

VLC Player Beta Lands on Android

VLC, the free media player popular for its capability to play most media formats, is now available for Android phones. You can get VLC for Android beta as a free download on Google Play, although you should wait for the final version if you’re not a power user.

The player supports most media file types.

The prospect of VLC for Android is much less exciting than the brief appearance of a version for iPhones back in 2010 (which was pulled a couple of months later). iPhone users have a very limited choice of media formats they can play natively on their devices, but for Android, apps like BS Player, Dice, or MX Player do the job well already.

Nevertheless, VLC for Android is a welcome addition to the market -- as long as you keep in mind it’s a beta. This means the current version runs only on phones with ARMv7 CPUs with NEON support (no luck for entry-level Android phone owners). The programmers list on Google Play a number of features now unfinished but which will appear in the final release, such as the basic user interface, performance, and some audio issues.

If you have one of the supported phones, then VLC for Android beta will give you access to your entire video and media library on the phone, with full search capabilities, including support for network streams, and subtitles (embedded and external) -- which is especially handy if you like watching foreign films.

Hardware decoding works with a limited set of hardware, which means some phones will experience stuttery video. Two devices currently support hardware acceleration on MKV video at 720p: the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S III, with the Galaxy Nexus and S II able to manage 720p video as well.

VLC for Android supports embedded and separate file subtitles, but you need hardware acceleration support for smooth playback.

Video decoding hardware acceleration is not enabled by default, so you will have to enable it from the preferences pane if your device is supported, which should give you smooth video playback with no decoding artifacts. You can also use the included widget for audio controls, which displays cover art and gives you access to the media library.

CDs Are Not Forever: The Truth About CD/DVD Longevity, Mold & Rot‏

The digital age has revolutionized the way we handle information. Never before could humankind record and store so much information and in such diversity. While the amount of data has increased exponentially, the predicted life span of the storage media hardly exceeds the lifetime of a human. For humans who love to collect and leave a legacy to their descendants, as well as human kind who so much depends on information, this poses a huge challenge.

Optical discs have been commercially available since the 1980s. After merely 30 years, a solid amount of information has been collected on what causes CDs and DVDs to break and much progress has been made in the development of material that will last longer. While estimations predict a life time of up to 200 years for optical discs, we can never be sure when they are really going to break. However, by being aware of what determines the life span of optical discs and what causes them to break, you can make choices and significantly increase the survival time of your stored data.

Let's examine this case in detail...

What Determines The Life Span Of Different Optical Discs?

To understand what limits the life span of optical discs, let's look at how they are built-up. What all optical discs have in common is the presence of three key layers:

• coating layer that protects the reflective layer.
• shiny layer that reflects the laser.
• polycarbonate disc layer that stores the data.

In addition, a label is applied above the coating layer and re-writable discs contain a dye layer between the reflective and protective layers.

One factor that determines the maximum life span of an optical disc is the type of reflective layer. Other factors include the overall quality of the raw material and manufacturing and most importantly the way the medium is treated by the user. The handling of an optical disc probably has the most significant impact on its longevity, hence we will re-visit this theme in a moment.

It is hard to predict exactly how long an optical disc will last since it depends on so many different factors. Nevertheless, estimations are floating around that predict a life span of up to 200 years for recorded CD-Rs and Blu-Ray discs. The shortest life span with 5-10 years is predicted for unrecorded CD-Rs and CD-RWs, followed by recorded DVD-RWs with up to 30 years. Recorded CD-RWs and DVD-Rs have a predicted lifetime of 20-100 years. In other words, you should not rely on any of these media for lifelong storage of your precious data, as they are likely to fail sooner rather than later.

How Do CDs or DVDs Rot?

As mentioned above, different types of optical discs contain different layers and particularly the reflective layer is subsceptible to damage. Standard compact discs typically have a reflective layer made from aluminum. When exposed to air, aluminum oxidizes, which naturally happens around the edges of the CD. However, degradation of the reflective layer is not the only cause of disc rot.

The causes of disc rot are manifold and can include one of the following:

• oxidation or corrosion of reflective layer
• physical damage to disc surfaces or edges
• galvanic reaction between layers and coatings
• chemical reactions with contaminants
• ultra-violet light damage
• breaking down of disc materials, e.g. de-bonding of adhesives between layers

Interestingly, while most types of disc rot are caused by inappropriate use and/or storage, there is one in particular, i.e. CD bronzing, which is caused by a fault in manufacturing.

How Can I Check Whether My Optical Discs Are OK?

You can do a simple visual check. If you see light shining through tiny little holes when you hold a disc against light, then the reflective layer has started to disintegrate. Also check your CDs for discoloring, especially around the edges. See whether the different layers are still tightly together or have started to de-laminate. Finally, you can try to copy the optical discs to a hard drive or scan them for data integrity using different software, e.g. CDCheck or dvddisaster.

How Can I Increase The Lifetime Of My CDs & DVDs?

There are many ways you can increase the likelihood that your CDs and DVDs will last you a long time. Here is a selection of the most important ones:

• Choose a high quality medium from a good brand.
• If you want to maximize CD longevity, go for gold as a reflective layer.
• Treat your CDs and DVDs with care, i.e. hold them by the outer edges or the hole in the center, don't touch the surface, avoid scratches, and keep dirt from the disc.
• Keep them in a dry, dark, and cool place since humidity, sunlight, high temperatures, and pollutants can damage the different layers.
• Store them in jewel cases rather than paper slips.
• Use non solvent-based felt-tip permanent markers, suitable for writing on CD or DVD labels.
• Rewrite your rewritable discs as little as possible.
• Choose slow writing speeds to reduce errors and increase quality.

What Can I Do When My Disc Won't Read?

A disc that can no longer be read by your player or shows errors is not necessarily a lost case. Here area few tips for what you can do to:

• Make sure you didn't accidentally insert the CD or DVD upside down.
• Carefully clean the bottom layer with alcohol to remove grease from fingerprints and dust.
• Try to read the CD or DVD in a different player. Chances are that the laser in your player is faulty or that a different player can still read your CD or DVD.

Conclusion

Always have a backup of your data and check all our backups regularly to make sure none of the copies have broken in the meantime, regardless of whether you store your data on a CD, DVD, or hard drive.

What kind of data do you store on optical discs and how do you back up software, music, or movies you buy on a physical disc?

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The digital age has revolutionized the way we handle information. Never before could humankind record and store so much information and in such diversity. While the amount of data has increased exponentially, the predicted life span of the storage media hardly exceeds the lifetime of a human. For humans who love to collect and leave a legacy to their descendants, as well as human kind who so much depends on information, this poses a huge challenge.

Optical discs have been commercially available since the 1980s. After merely 30 years, a solid amount of information has been collected on what causes CDs and DVDs to break and much progress has been made in the development of material that will last longer. While estimations predict a life time of up to 200 years for optical discs, we can never be sure when they are really going to break. However, by being aware of what determines the life span of optical discs and what causes them to break, you can make choices and significantly increase the survival time of your stored data.

Let's examine this case in detail...

What Determines The Life Span Of Different Optical Discs?

To understand what limits the life span of optical discs, let's look at how they are built-up. What all optical discs have in common is the presence of three key layers:

• coating layer that protects the reflective layer.
• shiny layer that reflects the laser.
• polycarbonate disc layer that stores the data.

In addition, a label is applied above the coating layer and re-writable discs contain a dye layer between the reflective and protective layers.

One factor that determines the maximum life span of an optical disc is the type of reflective layer. Other factors include the overall quality of the raw material and manufacturing and most importantly the way the medium is treated by the user. The handling of an optical disc probably has the most significant impact on its longevity, hence we will re-visit this theme in a moment.

It is hard to predict exactly how long an optical disc will last since it depends on so many different factors. Nevertheless, estimations are floating around that predict a life span of up to 200 years for recorded CD-Rs and Blu-Ray discs. The shortest life span with 5-10 years is predicted for unrecorded CD-Rs and CD-RWs, followed by recorded DVD-RWs with up to 30 years. Recorded CD-RWs and DVD-Rs have a predicted lifetime of 20-100 years. In other words, you should not rely on any of these media for lifelong storage of your precious data, as they are likely to fail sooner rather than later.

How Do CDs or DVDs Rot?

As mentioned above, different types of optical discs contain different layers and particularly the reflective layer is subsceptible to damage. Standard compact discs typically have a reflective layer made from aluminum. When exposed to air, aluminum oxidizes, which naturally happens around the edges of the CD. However, degradation of the reflective layer is not the only cause of disc rot.

The causes of disc rot are manifold and can include one of the following:

• oxidation or corrosion of reflective layer
• physical damage to disc surfaces or edges
• galvanic reaction between layers and coatings
• chemical reactions with contaminants
• ultra-violet light damage
• breaking down of disc materials, e.g. de-bonding of adhesives between layers

Interestingly, while most types of disc rot are caused by inappropriate use and/or storage, there is one in particular, i.e. CD bronzing, which is caused by a fault in manufacturing.

How Can I Check Whether My Optical Discs Are OK?

You can do a simple visual check. If you see light shining through tiny little holes when you hold a disc against light, then the reflective layer has started to disintegrate. Also check your CDs for discoloring, especially around the edges. See whether the different layers are still tightly together or have started to de-laminate. Finally, you can try to copy the optical discs to a hard drive or scan them for data integrity using different software, e.g. CDCheck or dvddisaster.

How Can I Increase The Lifetime Of My CDs & DVDs?

There are many ways you can increase the likelihood that your CDs and DVDs will last you a long time. Here is a selection of the most important ones:

• Choose a high quality medium from a good brand.
• If you want to maximize CD longevity, go for gold as a reflective layer.
• Treat your CDs and DVDs with care, i.e. hold them by the outer edges or the hole in the center, don't touch the surface, avoid scratches, and keep dirt from the disc.
• Keep them in a dry, dark, and cool place since humidity, sunlight, high temperatures, and pollutants can damage the different layers.
• Store them in jewel cases rather than paper slips.
• Use non solvent-based felt-tip permanent markers, suitable for writing on CD or DVD labels.
• Rewrite your rewritable discs as little as possible.
• Choose slow writing speeds to reduce errors and increase quality.

What Can I Do When My Disc Won't Read?

A disc that can no longer be read by your player or shows errors is not necessarily a lost case. Here area few tips for what you can do to:

• Make sure you didn't accidentally insert the CD or DVD upside down.
• Carefully clean the bottom layer with alcohol to remove grease from fingerprints and dust.
• Try to read the CD or DVD in a different player. Chances are that the laser in your player is faulty or that a different player can still read your CD or DVD.

Conclusion

Always have a backup of your data and check all our backups regularly to make sure none of the copies have broken in the meantime, regardless of whether you store your data on a CD, DVD, or hard drive.

What kind of data do you store on optical discs and how do you back up software, music, or movies you buy on a physical disc?