How to Fix Poor Samsung Galaxy S7 Nougat Performance

Some Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge users are complaining about poor performance after installing Android Nougat.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Nougat update is an exciting update but as the Galaxy S7 Nougat release grows we’re starting to see users complain about a variety of Galaxy S7 Android Nougat problems.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge users in the United States and other countries around the world are running into pesky bugs and frustrating performance issues after installing the Android 7.0 Nougat update on their device.

Abnormal battery drain and broken connectivity are part of the problem but some Galaxy S7 users are noticing lag, lockups and freezes after installing Android Nougat.

Fixing performance issues can be a bit tricky but there are a few things to try before you get in contact with Samsung or your carrier.

Today we want to outline some ways to improve Galaxy S7 Nougat performance on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge.

Some of these tips require a lot of effort. Others simply require you to start using some of the features Samsung delivered with its Android Nougat update.

How to Fix Galaxy S7 Battery Life After Nougat

Let’s start with battery life and connectivity issues.

Some Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge users are noticing bad battery life after installing Android Nougat. Android 7.0 Nougat isn’t supposed to harm the device’s battery life. In fact, with features like Doze On-The-Go on board, it’s supposed to help it.

If you start noticing bad Galaxy S7 Nougat battery life, don’t panic. There’s a very good chance you’ll be able to fix the problem yourself.

If you just installed Nougat on your Galaxy S7, give it a couple of days. Sometimes it takes two or three days for new software to even out. If you’ve had Nougat on your device for a while now, you’ll need to take action.

We’ve put together a long list of strategies to obtain better battery life on the Galaxy S7 and it’s worth a look if you don’t know what to do.

Use Download Booster

Noticing slower download speeds after installing Android 7.0 Nougat on your Galaxy S7? Try Download Booster.

When enabled, Download Booster will download files larger than 30MB using Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity at the same time. If your Wi-Fi signal is strong, you’ll see blazing fast download speeds.

To enable Download Booster, go to Connections > More connection settings > Download booster and enable it. Just remember to use this sparingly because it could eat up a lot of your data plan.

Fix Poor Connectivity

If your Galaxy S7’s connections are struggling with Nougat on board, take a look at our list of fixes for GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth problems.

Restart Your Phone

If you’re noticing UI lag or freezes, and you haven’t restarted your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge in a while, try a simple restart. Power it down and then power it up again. Your phone might feel like new.

Cleanup Your Galaxy S7

Use Nougat’s arrival as an opportunity to cleanup your Samsung Galaxy S7’s files and data.

If you’ve owned your Galaxy S7 for a year, there’s a good chance you’ve accumulated tons of stuff on your phone. Some of you might even be nearing the threshold of your device’s internal storage.

Even if you aren’t, it would be a good idea to get rid of files, apps and anything else you no longer need on your device.

A little cleanup could go a long way toward improving your Galaxy S7 Nougat performance.

Disable Widgets

Widgets are extremely useful but they can also eat up your device’s resources. This is why we recommend getting rid of them, at least temporarily, to see if that helps boost Galaxy S7 Nougat’s performance.

To delete a Widget simply hold down on it and drag it to Remove. You can always add Widgets back to your home screen if you determine they aren’t what’s dragging down your Galaxy S7’s or your Galaxy S7 Edge’s performance.

Sleep Apps

You might also want to consider sleeping or disabling certain applications on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge.

Sleeping an app will disable its core functions and features. This is useful for apps that are known battery and CPU hogs and apps that send out tons of notifications.

If you want to take it a step further, you can disable apps completely. We’ve put together a quick guide that takes you through the process.

Once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to sleep and disable apps whenever necessary.

Update Your Apps

If you’re experiencing poor app performance after installing Android Nougat you’ll want to make sure your apps are updated.

Developers continue to push out important bug fix updates for their applications. If you don’t have automatic updates turned on, there’s a good chance you’ve missed one, or more, of these key bug fix updates.

If you haven’t updated your apps in awhile, head into your apps and into the Google Play Store and check out the updates available to you.

Be sure you read reviews from Nougat users before you install a new version of your favorite app. Nougat is agreeable with most apps but there are some rotten apples out there.

Use Device Maintenance

If you’re noticing abnormal amounts of lag and stuttering after installing Android Nougat on board your device, dig into Device Maintenance.

On the Galaxy S7’s Settings screen tap Device Maintenance and then go to RAM. To reduce the amount of RAM your device is using, check apps from the apps list, and tap on Clean Now.

Use Nougat’s Performance Mode

The Galaxy S7 Nougat update comes equipped with some awesome features including a new Performance Mode function. Performance Mode is found in Device Maintenance.

Performance Mode includes a Normal Mode for every day use, a Game Mode for when you’re gaming, an Entertainment Mode, and a High Performance Mode where it’ll use highest quality settings.

For more on Performance Mode, take a look at our full rundown of the new feature.

Turn Off S Voice

S Voice, Samsung’s equivalent to Apple’s Siri, can be very useful. If you rely on it, this step will be a tough one to pull off.

If you can do without S Voice (temporarily or permanently) you might notice a bump to your Galaxy S7’s performance. S Voice can be a resource hog.

To completely disable S Voice on your Galaxy S7 you’ll want to head into Applications Manager, find S Voice, tap on it, and tap on Disable.

You can always enable S Voice again if you determine it’s not responsible for your device’s poor performance on Nougat.

Hidden Developer Mode

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both feature a hidden developer mode that could help you speed up your device in a matter of seconds.

We’ve put together a step-by-step walkthrough that will hold your hands through the process. It’s worth a look if you’re short on time.

Use Another Launcher

If none of these fixes help and you’re willing to replace Samsung Experience (TouchWiz) with another launcher, it’s probably worth a shot.

Samsung’s made some improvements to its user interface but it can still feel bulky and it still plays a role in your device’s performance. Potentially, a negative one.

We highly recommend trying the popular Nova Launcher on the Google Play Store. Nova Launcher comes with tons of customization options that could help you get a handle on your device’s performance.

Try Rooting Nougat

If you’ve exhausted all of these steps, and your performance still isn’t adequate, it might be time to take a more drastic approach.

You might try rooting Galaxy S7 Nougat. Developers recently released a working root for the Qualcomm-powered versions of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge and it might be worth a try if you’re running out of options and/or time.

Rooting allows you to delete apps and services that you normally wouldn’t be able to get rid of. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are loaded up with bloat, particularly carrier models.

We’ve gone over the pros and cons of rooting a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge and it’s worth a look if you’re out of ideas.

Start from Scratch

This step should only be used as a last-ditch resort and only after you’ve backed up all of your important files in the cloud or on a microSD card.

If your performance is out of control, it might be worth it to start from scratch. In other words, erase everything on your phone and start anew.

There is a very good chance this will help you get control on your Galaxy S7’s performance but know that it will be a time-consuming process, particularly if you have a ton of apps, files and customization on your device.

To do this on Nougat, go to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset > Reset Device > Delete All.

Install Oreo If You Want to Improve Your Security

> 1 / 15

If you value your security, and we assume all of you do, you should think about installing the Galaxy S8 Oreo update soon after it arrives for your phone.  Samsung continues to release important security patches for Galaxy-branded devices and your Galaxy S8's Android 8.0 Oreo update should bring the latest patches from Samsung, and Google, to your phone.  The Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update delivers the company's latest security updates and we expect upcoming releases to come with newer security patches. If you're curious about Samsung's security updates, you can read more about the changes on Samsung's website.  If you failed to download an older security update from another month, you'll get those patches when you go to install Android Oreo on your Galaxy S8 for the first time.  The Galaxy S8 Oreo update also comes with security improvements to Samsung Pay, Samsung's popular mobile payment solution. If you use Samsung Pay, you should probably download the Android Oreo update soon after it arrives for your phone.  It also comes with some enhancements to Find My Mobile including the ability to remotely back up Secure Folder to Samsung Cloud when you lose your phone and a way to lock up Samsung Pass using Find My Mobile. On top of those features, Oreo comes with enhancements to the device's Biometrics. Features that use biometrics like your face, fingerprints, and irises are only available when you use a secure screen lock type (pattern, PIN, or password). If you decide to switch to a non-secure screen lock type (Swipe or None), the device will automatically suspend biometric authentication for unlocking and for verification in apps like Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass.

> 1 / 15