Samsung's Android 7.0 Nougat rollout recently expanded to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the company's two flagship models from 2015. Both upgrade from the dated Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Nougat updates did not go through a public beta, although Samsung spent weeks testing the software for bugs and behind-the-scenes issues.
While some Galaxy S6 Nougat users report stable software, others are having issues with their upgrade.
Galaxy S6 Nougat performance issues (lag, random freezes, freezes, etc.) are plaguing some device owners and we expect complaints about these issues to pick up as Samsung releases the Galaxy S6 Nougat. is spreading to new devices and new regions. The update should pick up momentum as we move forward into May.
If you are experiencing poor Galaxy S6 Nougat performance then obviously you will want to get the issues under control. Here we want to describe some strategies and fixes to try in order to improve the performance of your aging device.
How to fix Galaxy S6 bad battery life after Nougat
If your poor performance is related to poor Nougat battery life, here are some options to consider.
First, we always recommend waiting a few days before taking drastic action. Battery life sometimes takes a few days to set in, so you'll need to be patient if you start noticing issues after installing Android 7.0.
If you're still noticing strange battery drain after two full days with Nougat, you'll want to start digging deeper into the problem.
We've outlined a few tried-and-true ways to fix Galaxy S6 bad battery life and you'll want to take a look at them before you do a factory reset or contact Samsung or your carrier.
Use Download Booster
If you notice slow download speeds, especially with large files, you can try using the Galaxy S6 Download Booster.
Download Booster allows your device to download files larger than 30MB using Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity at the same time. If you're connected to a strong Wi-Fi network, you should see extremely fast download times.
You'll want to monitor your usage if you're on a capped data plan. Download Booster will chew up your cellular data.
Restart your Galaxy S6
Here is an extremely quick fix to try if you notice poor Nougat performance on your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge.
Turn off your device, wait and turn it back on. This is the first thing to try if you notice lag, freezes, freezes, or some other performance issue.
Clean your Galaxy S6
Now would be a good time to clean your Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.
If you've had your device for a year or more, you've probably accumulated a ton of junk files on your device. Photos you no longer look at. Videos you no longer need. Apps you no longer use. The list continues.
If you're nearing your storage threshold, and even if you're not, it might be a good idea to spring clean to free up some hard drive space.
If you get rid of the clutter, you might see a performance boost.
sleep apps
The Galaxy S6 Nougat update offers a useful feature that could help you get a handle on your device's CPU and/or battery life.
With Nougat on board, you can now sleep apps so they don't send notifications or drain battery life in the background. This is a good remedy for apps that are known resource hogs.
To sleep an app on your Galaxy S6, long press an app icon. You should see a few options appear.
From there, choose to put the selected app to sleep. Use it regularly and you could see a nice performance boost.
Update your apps
If performance issues are related to your apps, try updating your apps to see if that improves performance.
In the weeks following the release of Nougat, many Android developers released bugfix updates for their apps.
If you haven't enabled automatic updates, chances are you've missed one or more of those updates on your Galaxy S6.
If it's been a while since you've updated apps on your Galaxy S6, you should head to your apps and the Google Play Store to check for updates.
Don't blindly install updates. You'll want to read reviews from other Nougat users before making your choice.
Use device maintenance
The Galaxy S6 Nougat update also comes with another useful feature in the device settings. This is called device maintenance.
Once you open it from settings, you will come to a screen with a few options including battery, storage, RAM, and device security. Each of them comes with a subset of choices ranging from power saving modes to performance enhancements.
You'll want to dig into each of these categories and see which combination works best for you and your device.
Disable S voice
S Voice, Samsung's version of Siri/Cortana, can be helpful, but it can also be a source of resources. If you don't use S Voice or just want to limit its capabilities, we recommend turning it off to see if that helps improve performance.
To completely disable S Voice on your Galaxy S6, you need to head to Application Manager, find S Voice, tap it, and tap Disable.
You can always enable it again if you need to or if disabling it doesn't fix your performance.
Use another launcher
The Galaxy S6 Nougat update brings the company's new Samsung experience (formerly known as TouchWiz). It's a nice addition, but it could be the source of your problems.
If you are ok with using a third-party launcher, we recommend that you search for one. There are tons of options, but we recommend Nova Launcher on the Google Play Store .
Nova Launcher comes with tons of customization options that will help you control your device's performance.
Hidden Developer Mode
If you only have a few seconds to spare, you can try to access the Galaxy S6 hidden developer mode. It could help you speed up your phone without having to do a lot of work.
We've put together a walkthrough that will guide you through the process. It's worth taking a look if you can't find a solution or don't want to spend a ton of time trying to solve your problems.
Start from zero
If nothing here (or anywhere else) works for you, you can go for the nuclear option: completely wipe your phone and start over. It's a time-consuming solution, but it works well, especially on older phones like the Galaxy S6.
To do this on Nougat, go to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset > Reset device > Delete everything.
Remember to back up all your files before doing this. This should only be used as a last resort, as setting up your phone will take some time.