Why restarting your phone after a software update matters, on Android and iPhone

Smartphones accompany us in nearly everything we do: calls, messages, photos, searches and online payments. Because we depend on the phone for tasks big and small, good performance is essential, and regular software updates are needed to keep it running smoothly.

Whenever the company releases a new system update, users install it on their phones. Often the whole process runs in the background and the device restarts by itself once the update is complete. But after some routine updates, a smartphone does not reboot on its own. Many users do not notice this and keep using the phone without restarting it. That can affect the phone's speed and performance, because the phone needs to be restarted at least once after every update.

Why is a restart needed after an update? When you restart or reboot the phone after an update, its internal system gets a fresh start. Many temporary files pile up on the device while an update is being installed, filling up storage and memory. Restarting or rebooting the phone after the update deletes these temporary files automatically.

The phone's RAM is also emptied completely and the processor starts working afresh. This makes the phone faster than before and clears problems such as the phone hanging or apps crashing. Tech experts say that after any major software update, one should restart the phone, clear the cache memory and check the network settings once.

This applies to more than one kind of phone. Restarting after an update applies to both Android phones and the iPhone. Tablets, laptops, desktop PCs, smart TVs and handheld gaming consoles should also be rebooted after an update.

Battery life and system speed can also be affected. Running gadgets continuously for several days without switching them off can affect processes running in the background, which directly affects battery use and system speed. When you switch the device off once after an update, all the features and changes in the new software settle properly into the system.