Why Does Phone Hang and Lag While Playing Games? 10 Causes + Solution (2025 Guide)

Published On: October 25, 2025

If your phone lags while playing games like PUBG, Call of Duty, or Free Fire, you’re not alone. This guide breaks down why your phone hangs during gaming and gives 10 proven fixes to boost FPS by 20–40% on Android & iOS, no root or expensive tools needed.

10 Main Reasons for Lag and Hangs in Mobile Games

1. Overheating

When you play heavy games, your phone gets extremely hot. To prevent overheating, the phone automatically reduces the speed of its CPU and GPU, this is called thermal throttling. Initially, Game runs smoothly, but lag starts after 15–20 minutes (source).

Solution:

Remove your phone case
Use a cooling fan
Avoid gaming in direct sunlight
Play in an air-conditioned room

2. Insufficient Memory

Insufficient RAM in your phone struggles to process game data. If RAM is full, the system will use slower storage for virtual memory, leading to FPS drops and stuttering. At least 6–8GB of RAM is needed for modern games (source).

Solution:

Close background apps
Use a RAM cleaner app
If possible, buy a phone with more RAM

3. Unnecessary Apps Running in the Background

Background apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Music drain CPU, RAM, and battery when you play a game. These apps check notifications, sync data, and use location services. The functions of these apps include checking notifications, using location services, and syncing data (source).

Solution:

Close all apps from Recent Apps before gaming.
Enable “Restrict background data” in Settings.
Activate Gaming mode or Do Not Disturb mode.
Set “Background process limit” in Developer options to “At most 1-2 processes.”
Turn off auto-sync temporarily.

4. Low Storage Space

When your phone’s internal storage is more than 90% full, the Android operating system struggles to read and write data. The system needs space for temporary files, cache, and virtual memory, which becomes unavailable (source).

Solution:

Always keep at least 15-20% of your storage free
Uninstall unused apps
Delete photos and videos by backing them up to Google Photos or the cloud
Delete WhatsApp media files
Empty the Downloads folder and Recycle Bin
Clean junk files from the Files by Google app
Delete offline music and videos
Regularly clear your game cache

5. Outdated Software

Old Android version, outdated game version, or old GPU drivers, performance optimizations are missing. Game developers include bug fixes and performance improvements in new updates that are not available in older versions (source).

Solution:

Update Android from Settings > System > System Update
Update games to the latest version from the Play Store
Graphics drivers are automatically updated with OS updates
Enable “Force GPU rendering” in Developer options

6. Weak Processor/GPU

If your phone has an entry-level or 3–4-year-old processor, it cannot operate modern high-graphics games. The CPU manages game logic, physics, and AI, while the GPU handles graphics rendering (source).

Solution:

Keep graphics settings at lowest.
Reduce resolution (720p instead of 1080p)
Set the frame rate limit to 30fps for stable performance.
Enable Game Turbo/Performance Mode.
If your phone is 4+ years old, consider buying a new phone.
Check out gaming-focused phones (IQOO, ROG Phone, RedMagic).
A mid-range phone with the latest processor is also a good option.

7. Weak Internet Connection

Online multiplayer games like PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, and Call of Duty Mobile require a stable and fast internet connection. A weak WiFi signal or slow mobile data can cause high ping, packet loss, and disconnections (source).

Solution:

For WiFi
- Sit closer to the router
- Use the 5GHz band
- Pause downloads from other devices
- Update the router firmware
For mobile data
- Play in a 4G or 5G network area
- Select “LTE only” or “5G preferred” in network mode
- Refresh the network by turning Airplane mode on and off
- Keep the VPN off

8. High Graphics Settings

Many gamers set graphics settings higher than their phone’s capability to make the game look better, but this overloads the GPU and causes FPS to drop dramatically.

Solution:

Reduce or disable shadows
Disable anti-aliasing
Turn off post-processing effects
Decrease particle effects
Medium texture quality
Set the resolution to 720p if lag persists

9. Battery Saver Mode

When battery saver or power saving mode is ON, the phone applies system-wide performance restrictions to extend battery life. This severely impacts gaming performance (source).

Solution:

Before playing game, Disable battery saver/power saving mode.
Enable Performance Mode or Gaming Mode if available.
Turn off “Adaptive Battery” in Settings for gaming apps.
Set game-specific battery optimization to “Unrestricted.”
Play while charging (but watch out for overheating).
Charge before the battery drops below 30%.

10. Corrupted Game Files/Cache

Sometimes, during game installation, files get corrupted, or errors occur in cached data, leading to game crashes, freezes, missing textures, or loading issues (source).