How to Make a Stock Rooted Android Run Faster

Simple Modifications

1. Remove unneeded widgets from your home screen. Widgets, the active and/or animated tools that sit on your homescreen, can be useful or fun. But unfortunately, each widget increases the load on your phone's memory, slowing it down slightly. Running many widgets simultaneously can amplify this effect. To remove a widget, tap and hold it, then slide it into the 'Trash' icon and let go.

2. Uninstall apps that you don't use. Just as on full-sized computers, having too many programs installed can slow down and destabilize your system. Press the 'Home' button. Press the 'Menu' button. Tap 'Applications.' Tap 'Manage Applications.' Tap any app that you don't need or don't want; then tap 'Uninstall.' Tap 'OK.'

3. Don't use Live Wallpapers. Live Wallpapers are the dynamic, animated wallpapers included with your phone or downloaded from the Android Market. They're visually impressive, but they drain your phone's memory, processor and battery life much faster than regular static wallpaper. To disable a Live Wallpaper, tap and hold an empty area of the home screen. Tap 'Wallpaper' and choose a basic wallpaper for your homescreen.

4. Kill memory-hogging apps. Many apps like Browser or Gmail can get bogged down with lots of tabs or images, and will cause the entire system to slow down. To kill an over-extended app, press the 'Home' button. Press the 'Menu' button. Tap 'Settings. Tap 'Applications.' Tap 'Manage Applications.' Tap the over-extended app. Tap 'Force Stop.'

Advanced Modifications

5. Use a start-up manager app. Many applications start up in the background when you turn on your phone, using memory and processor cycles without delivering much in return. To curtail these apps, you can download a free startup manager like Startup Cleaner Pro or Startup Auditor Free from the Android Market. Install and open the app, and then select apps to disable. Note that these apps are still available from the Application Launcher.

6. Delete or disable system apps. If you don't use an app, like Sound Recorder, that can't be removed because it's included with Android, you can use a root-enabled file explorer (like Root Explorer or ES File Explorer) to delete it or make it inactive. Start your file explorer, then navigate to the /system/app folder. Tap and hold an app; then tap 'delete' to remove it completely or 'rename' to keep the app in a disabled state. Rename the app from 'example.apk' to 'example.old' to disable it. Use extreme caution when manually removing apps; removing crucial applications can damage or completely disable Android.

7. Install a processor overclock app. Most Android phones use processors with a set clock limit, which root-enabled users can exceed by using a special overclock program. Different apps work with different phones, and the speed at which your processor can safely operate differs among phone models. Note that this is a process for advanced users only, and may require the installation of a new kernel. Extreme overclocking or extended use can cause damage to your phone's hardware, so use extreme caution.