Introduction
When I was playing BGMI in my mobile there is only one member to kill and to make chicken dinner. My phone got suddenly froze for 2 seconds and it started again working, I was already knocked and the game was very frustrating for me.
So, I spent a few days to find what was causing lag while playing game. I tried different settings and fixes some of them are worked for me that was very surprising. Finally, after trying various solutions, I fixed Lag to make my games to run smoother on the same phone. So, The main aim of the article is to how to reduce lag in mobile games on android.
The Real Reasons Your Android Game Lags
Here are the actual reasons that makes you android game lags. So, before fixing lag you should know what type of lag you are facing, Because different problems need different solutions.
FPS Lag (Low Frame Rate) – This Problem happens when your phone’s processor or graphics chip can’t handle the game. It leads to feel like lag and less smooth while playing.
Network Lag (High Ping) – This is caused due to a slow or unstable internet connection. It leads to delay while making Actions like moving, shooting, or picking up items etc..
Stutters and Freezes – These are usually caused by background apps using too much RAM or system resources while you are gaming.
In most of the cases the players may experience combination of all three issues. Even I have experienced these three problems. Actually these problems can be easily fixed so let’s go with one by one..
Step 1: Enable Game Mode or Performance Mode
So, most of the people will forget to enable game mode. Some of the players don’t know what is a game mode actually. Latest Android phones comes with built-in gaming mode. Like Samsung has a Game Booster, Xiaomi provides Game Turbo. If you phone has a similar type of feature make sure it enabled before you start the gaming so, that you can play game smoothly.
The main reason to design these modes is to improve performance by blocking notifications, reducing background activity. These will stops most of the interruptions while you are playing any game.
When I enabled Game Mode on my phone before playing BGMI, I noticed smoother and out of stutters gameplay. It did not increased any FPS, but the overall gaming experience felt much more consistent and smoother.
If your phone does not have a built-in game mode, then there is a app Game Booster 4x Faster on the Play Store which similarly perform like a built-in game mode.
Step 2: Lower In-Game Graphics Settings (But Smartly)
I know that nobody wants to play on low graphics. But here’s the thing that most lag comes from your GPU which is being pushed to its limit, and mid range phones simply were not built for Ultra HD + Max Frame Rate.
The sweet spot I found was this:
- Graphics quality: Try to keep a balanced or smooth (not HD, not Ultra)
- Frame rate: Keep 60fps if your phone supports it stably and if it causes heating, drop to 40fps
- Shadows: Turn off or make it to low. Shadows are surprisingly GPU-heavy.
Step 3: Close Background Apps Before You Launch the Game
I used to open my games without thinking and checking what was running in the background. Then I realized that I had a several apps that are kept in open chrome, YouTube Music, Instagram and more. So, All of them were using my valuable RAM due to this my game experience was very bad.
But Now, before starting the game I will follow a simple routine:
- Open the Recent Apps screen and close all running apps.
- Wait for about 30 seconds to complete closing.
- Launch your game and avoid opening other apps while it is loading.
The short wait is more important, Because It gives Android enough time to properly free up the memory and background processes instead of just removing apps from view.
If you are using a phone with 4GB RAM or less, this can make a Big difference in your phone. In my experience the game was much smoother, and frame rates got improved after clearing background apps before started playing.
Step 4: Sort Out Your Internet Connection
If your lag is due to network based you should sort out it by following below tips
Switch to 5GHz Wi-Fi if possible :
Try to switch to 5gHz Wi-Fi Because the regular 2.4GHz band is slower. If your router supports 5GHz, connect it to that network. you will be out of it.
Move closer to your router:
This tip is too simple, but it can have a surprisingly big difference on online gaming.
If you are playing on Wi-Fi, the distance between your phone and the router must be short. If you are away to router it leads to the weaker and less stable the signal.
I tested this myself by playing from two different spots in my house. When I played from my room which is some what far from the router, my ping was very higher I observed it . After moving closer to the router, my ping dropped to 20ms and the connection became much more stable.
Don’t Expect Miracles from Gaming VPNs:
You may have seen apps that promise you lower ping and better gaming performance. Some popular options include gaming VPNs.
In my Personal experience, the results were bad when i used it. A few times I noticed a small improvement, but it will not make much difference. Because of that, I will not recommend these things like VPN’s etc..
Step 5: Stop Your Phone from Throttling
If your game starts smoothly but it becomes laggy after some time, it is due to your phone may be overheating. When this happens so the Android reduces the performance to keep the device cool, which can leads to lower FPS.
Here are a few things that helped me to over come:
- You must avoid playing while charging. Gaming and charging at the same time can create extra more heat, which can leads to low performance.
- Make sure remove thick phone cases while playing game. Some backcovers trap heat and make it harder for your phone to stay cool.
- Try to take a short break for every 30-45 minutes if you plan for long gaming sessions. This gives time to your phone to cool down, so that it can maintain better performance.
Mostly, you can also monitor your phone’s temperature and performance using the free app CPU-Z which is available on play store. It shows some useful details such as CPU usage, temperature, and device information which helps you to understand if over heating is affecting your game.
Step 6: Check for Android and Game Updates
Checking for android and game updates is more important. The game developers will regularly release updates to fix and over come most of the bugs, which leads to improve performance and optimization of gameplay across different devices. if you are playing games like BGMI, Free Fire, or Call of Duty Mobile, So, you must make sure that you are using the latest version which is available on app store.
Step 7: Developer Options – The Hidden Settings
Android includes some advanced settings that may actually helps in improve gaming performance devices. Enabling Developer options can make a big difference.
To enable Developer Options:
- Go-to Settings then search for About Phone
- Tap “Build Number” 7 times
After that, open Developer Options and check these settings:
- Force 4x MSAA – This settings can improve your graphics quality and smoothness in some of the games. Results are depends on device, so test it and see how your phone performs.
- Disable HW Overlays – Disable HW overlay because some users report smoother rendering after enabling this option.
Common Mistakes That Made By Me
Let me save you some time here:
Using RAM cleaner / booster apps. most of the RAM cleaner apps are useless. And many of them run constantly in their background and this may cause lag while playing game. I tried four different apps. And no use with them I Deleted all of them I got better Performance after deleting.
Playing on battery saver mode : Playing on battery saver mode won’t help you it will consume CPU speed. Turn it off if you are playing game.
Ignoring storage space. If your phone storage got full, you will face struggles. Games need some temporary space to run smoothly. So, try to delete out old photos, duplicate photos unused apps etc..
What Genuinely Made the Biggest Difference for Me
These steps made a biggest difference for me make sure:
- Closing background apps before gaming.
- Switching to 5GHz Wi-Fi while playing game.
- Lowering graphics to Smooth/Balanced.
- Stopped playing while charging the mobile.
- Enabling Game Turbo/Game Mode before starting game.
Also Read: How to speed up your Android phone in 2026 (no fake “boosters”)
Also Read: Best Lifetime Deal Apps for Android (Pay Once, Keep Forever)
Conclusion
So, If you are struggling with lag while you are playing games on Android, you don’t need a new phone. Even I thought the same until I started doing small changes myself. Changes like closing background apps, enabling Game Mode, lowering graphics settings, and staying closer to the router. And This made a big difference for me that avoiding charging while playing game. Try to Implement all the tips which we have discussed above. So, try them one by one. I Can say that you will see a big difference. Enjoy the smooth gameplay don’t spend money on waste services.
FAQ’S
1. Why is my Android phone lagging while playing games even though it has enough storage?
Storage is only one part of the equation. Lag can also happen because of limited RAM, overheating, background apps, high graphics settings, or a poor internet connection. Even phones with plenty of free storage can struggle if other resources are being heavily used.
2. Does Game Mode really improve gaming performance?
In my experience, yes. It may not magically increase FPS, but it helps reduce interruptions by blocking notifications and limiting background activity. The game generally feels more stable and consistent when Game Mode is enabled.
3. Is it safe to play games while charging my phone?
You can do it, but I wouldn’t recommend it for long gaming sessions. Charging and gaming at the same time generate extra heat, which can cause your phone to throttle performance and lead to more lag or frame drops.
4. Should I use gaming booster or RAM cleaner apps?
Most RAM cleaner apps don’t provide any real benefit. In fact, some of them keep running in the background and use system resources themselves. I found that simply closing unnecessary apps manually worked much better than installing extra booster apps.
5. Will lowering graphics settings make a big difference?
Absolutely. If your phone struggles with high graphics settings, lowering them can significantly improve frame rates and reduce stutters. I would rather have smooth gameplay on medium settings than constant lag on ultra graphics.
