This post has been updated since it originally posted on September 3, 2021.
Maybe you’ve heard a friend or coworker say that they shut down their iPhones at least once a day — or once a week — because they heard it will improve your device’s ability to run faster and more efficiently. And perhaps you’re thinking: well, I NEVER do that – could that be the reason why my phone’s battery barely holds a charge? Before you panic, there is truth to the belief that restarting your phone helps, but it’s also not necessary to go overboard and turn your phone off and on every single day.
The number one reason many restart their phones is to fix an app glitch, according to Lifehacker. But there’s another important reason you should be doing this: RAM. Ram is a “room” of sorts where data is stored when you use your iPhone. Restarting your phone helps clear up room every now and then.
The most common advice you may hear is to restart your phone once a week, but some experts say this is overkill. So, what’s the sweet spot and why does it even matter? Here’s how often you should actually be restarting your iPhone, according to tech experts.
At Least Twice A Month
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According to David Attard, Digital Consultant, and Web Designer at CollectiveRay.com, restarting your iPhone at least twice a month is optimum. “If time permits you, once a week is also good,” Attard says. “However anything more than that is completely unnecessary. Restarting the phone just stops all applications that may be running in the background. This means with nothing unnecessary running in the background, your phone will run faster. This also improves the battery health of your iPhone.”
Tech experts say your phone won’t become unusable if you forget to restart it, but there are some risks that you’d rather not deal with (especially when the solution takes just a few minutes out of your day) because they can be a headache. Not restarting your phone every week won't have an effect on your battery, but it can result in your phone crashing, mostly thanks to all of those apps you've installed, says Olivia Tan, co-founder of CocoFax. “Even when you're finished using an app, you don't really close it, but rather put it in a state where it can start faster,” Tan says. “Restarting your phone once a week gives your device a chance to clear and close open apps. And, while there are other culprits behind battery drainage, shutting down your phone for five to 10 minutes and restarting it can help clear up any issues that will drain your device too fast.”
