Will a hard reset fix performance issues on my Samsung Galaxy Note 20?

Question

My Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is running incredibly slow. Could a hard reset resolve these performance issues, especially if it's a software glitch like those reported after the Android 12 update? Or could it be a hardware problem, like the reported Exynos heating issues? Before resorting to a hard reset, should I try other troubleshooting steps? Could battery drain from Google Play Services, as reported by other users, be contributing to the slowdown?

creebrak · Accepted Answer

I think a hard reset is usually the best move before you go out and spend money on a replacement. Not 100% sure if the Exynos throttling is purely software or just old hardware struggling with Android 12, but here is my methodical approach based on what I have seen over the years:

Disable any background sync for apps you dont use daily. It saves cycles and keeps the heat down.

IIRC, some people found that turning off the RAM Plus feature helped with stuttering. It is worth checking if that is toggled on.

Check if your charging cable is actually official or high quality. Bad power delivery can cause weird performance spikes. Honestly, if it is a hardware degradation thing, even a reset wont be a permanent fix, but it is free to try... unlike buying a new device. Not sure if it is the Google Play services specifically, but it is definitely a common culprit.

MichaelPek · Answer

> Could battery drain from Google Play Services, as reported by other users, be contributing to the slowdown? It definitely could. That specific service often keeps the Exynos 990 processor from entering a low-power state, which leads to the heat soak issues people mention. Before you wipe everything, I would suggest you use the Samsung Members App to check the battery health data. It gives you much more detailed diagnostic specs than the standard settings menu. You might also want to consider your charging hardware. Using a low-quality brick can cause voltage fluctuations and heat spikes that degrade the processors efficiency. I generally stick to the Samsung 25W USB-C Fast Charging Wall Charger to keep things stable. Also, be careful with the RAM Plus feature in the settings. Mapping virtual memory to the UFS 3.0 storage can actually cause micro-stutters because the flash memory latency is much higher than the actual LPDDR5 RAM modules. If you havent checked your storage speed lately, that might be the bottleneck.

WaWaWa · Answer

A factory reset might help if it's a software issue. Try clearing cache and app data first. Persistent slowness could indicate a hardware problem, especially overheating. Battery drain can also impact performance, so check your battery usage.