Samsung smartphone owners have been advised to turn off four built-in software features to eliminate performance slowdowns and prevent devices from overheating, according to technology publication XDA.
Writing for XDA, tech journalist Hamlin Rosario highlighted several integrated system options on Samsung handsets that draw heavily on hardware resources. Rosario said users noticing device lag or thermal throttling should deactivate these functions to improve overall system speed.
The first feature recommended for deactivation is RAM Plus, a virtual memory expansion tool built into Samsung software. Rosario explained that RAM Plus accesses internal flash storage whenever the device runs low on physical random access memory. However, because internal storage drives operate at far slower read and write speeds than dedicated RAM chips, the feature consumes disk space without providing a noticeable speed boost.
South Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics equips its Galaxy series of smartphones with the One UI software overlay, which runs on top of Google Android. Virtual memory features like RAM Plus reserve a portion of the phone's internal storage drive to keep background apps in memory, but mobile storage architecture is not optimized for high-speed memory swapping.
Battery drain and input settings
Rosario also recommended that Samsung users disable Always On Display. He noted that the feature continuously draws power from the battery, causing a steady drain that is particularly noticeable on older smartphone models. Always On Display utilizes screen controller hardware to keep information such as the clock, date, and incoming notification icons visible while the display is locked.
In addition, Rosario criticized the stock Samsung Keyboard pre-installed on Galaxy devices. He described the default input app as less advanced and less responsive than rival alternatives, recommending that users replace it with Google Gboard or third-party keyboard software available through the Google Play Store.
Finally, Rosario revealed that he turned off Edge Panels on his personal smartphone. The feature detects touch gestures along the side borders of the screen to open quick shortcuts and widgets. Rosario said disabling Edge Panels increased overall convenience by reducing the frequency of accidental touches when handling the phone.
Battery health and charging habits
Separately, tech expert Alexey Dvilyansky warned in late August that common smartphone charging habits could be damaging battery health over time. Dvilyansky highlighted frequent micro-charging, the practice of connecting a phone to a power source for brief top-up sessions throughout the day, as a major cause of premature degradation.
Dvilyansky stated that while brief charging bursts will not destroy a battery in a single month, continuous micro-charging can reduce battery capacity by 15 to 20 percent after one year of use. By contrast, gentle battery operation typically results in an annual capacity loss of around 10 percent. He referred to the extra wear as a penalty paid for user convenience.
Modern mobile devices use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that experience chemical wear during every charge cycle. Battery specialists generally recommend avoiding short, erratic charge bursts and keeping charge levels between 20 and 80 percent to preserve long-term battery performance.
