If you're also experiencing the Android phone scrolling problem after upgrading your device to the latest version, it's not a new issue. As usual, sometimes Android upgrades are not stable - given the wide range of devices available from many brands. And if you're one of the lot experiencing scrolling lag and stutter after Android 10 update (or whatever version you upgraded too), stay calm. This article will help you get rid of the problem and get your device back on track.
How to fix Android phone scrolling problem on Android 11, 10, 9, etc.
While developers always try their best to make everything run smooth after an upgrade, it's not always the same story on every device. And on most devices, the Android phone scrolling problem is caused by corrupted cache files in the system, bad apps, compatibility issues, software glitches, and others.
Nonetheless, there are many working fixes for such an issue on Android, as analyzed over here. So, when you encounter scrolling problems in Chrome, scroll not working on mobile, or your device lagging after Android update, here are the top fixes to try.
- Wipe Android cache partition
- Install latest system update
- Update all your apps
- Reset/reinstall individual apps
- Uninstall bloatware and unused apps
- Check and get rid of malfunctioning apps
- Turn off developer options
- Reset your device
Meanwhile, ensure nothing is wrong with your phone’s screen hardware before trying the solutions below. Click here to learn how to fix the touchscreen not working on Android.
Wipe Android cache partition
The #1 reason why you may experience the Android phone scrolling problem after upgrading or updating your device is because of corrupted system cache data.
Normally, the system and app cache helps your device load apps and processes faster. However, it might get corrupted during system changes, causing your device to lag, freeze, or be unable to scroll.
In that case, we recommend you wipe the Android cache partition on your phone to fix the problem. Here’s how to do it:
- Turn off your phone and wait for a few seconds.
- After that, long-press both the Power + Volume up button until the Android Recovery screen shows up. (The key combination may be different on your device. You can try the Power + Volume down button instead, or search for how to boot your device model into recovery mode on Google.)
- If you see a fallen Android robot with “No command” text on the screen, long-press the Power + Volume up key again to show the recovery mode properly.
- From there, highlight ‘Wipe cache partition’ using the Volume down
- Click the Power button to select the option,
- Again, use the Volume down button to highlight ‘Yes’ and confirm it with the Power button.
- After a second, use the keys to highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and select it to restart your phone.
In most instances, wiping the cache partition should fix the Android scrolling problem. But if that didn't do the trick, continue troubleshooting with the other solutions below.
Install latest system update
While scroll not working on mobile phones could be caused after a system update, the same issue can be fixed via a system update again. We already admit that the first "stable" releases are usually not as stable as expected. But with time, developers would try their best to make things work smooth again by releasing quick fixes via system update.
So, to fix the scrolling bug in Android 9 (or whatever version you were upgraded to), kindly check for the latest system updates and install it. Depending on your Android device maker, the steps below should help you update your system:
- Open your device Settings app and scroll to the bottom
- Select System
- Tap System Update (or Software update)
- Then, click Check for updates
- If there's an available update, simply download and install it straight away. That could help you fix the issue.
Meanwhile, if you've only upgraded your device a few hours or days ago, an update might not be available straight away. However, keep your left eye on it and check back later.
Update all your apps
Android upgrades come with new features and changes that might affect how apps work with your device. And in most cases (or sometimes), your old apps might not be compatible with the new system, hence, causing them to lag or malfunction.
However, the scrolling problem in Chrome or other apps after an Android update could be fixed by updating the app from the Play Store. Just follow the steps below to do that.
Note: Depending on your Play Store version, the steps below might differ slightly. But if you know how to update apps already, just go ahead and do your thing!
- Fire up the Play Store app on your phone.
- Tap your Profile icon at the top right corner.
- Click Manage apps & device
- Next, hit Updates available
- Tap the Update All button to install the latest version for your apps.
- Finally, restart your device to check if it fixes your Android phone scrolling problem.
Reset/reinstall individual apps
Similar to a corrupted Android cache partition, your apps can misbehave if their cache files and data are corrupted. In that case, we recommend you erase the cached data for your apps or reset them all together.
- Open your device’s Settings app
- Locate and select Apps & notifications
- Click on See all apps
- From there, find and select the app with scrolling problems. (E.g YouTube or Chrome).
- Next, tap Storage & cache
- Finally, tap Clear cache, then tap Clear storage.
After that, restart your phone and try using the app again to see if the scrolling problem has been fixed. If not, you can reinstall the app with the steps below.
- Open the Play Store app and search for the affected app.
- Click on the app in the search result, then tap the Uninstall
- When the app has been uninstalled, tap the Install button to install it again.
Someone once asked: “How can I fix YouTube scrolling issues on Android?” Well, any app may become laggy, or stop functioning properly after updates, and following the solutions in this article should be able to fix it.
If not, we have an article to help you fix YouTube not working on Android.
Uninstall bloatware and unused apps
Additionally, too much bloatware and unused apps can cripple your device's performance. In case you have apps you're not using or many preinstalled apps on your device, consider uninstalling or disabling them to make your phone run faster.
- On your device, go to the Apps section in the system settings (Usually Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps)
- Gently scroll through the apps. If you come across anyone you don't want or rarely use, click on it.
- From there, tap uninstall or
- Do the same for other apps you don’t want and restart your phone afterward.
Check and get rid of bad apps.
If you've performed the last three solutions above and your Android phone is still lagging or not scrolling accurately, we recommend you check and get rid of bad apps. Your device might perform sluggishly after Android updates because of scrolling bugs in Android apps.
In that case, you should restart your device in safe mode to see if the problem is caused by an app. Booting up your device in safe mode turns off all third-party apps and their interference with your phone.
If your phone works well in safe mode, then you can uninstall the bad apps to fix the problem. Here’s how:
- Make sure your phone is still turned on, then long-press the power button to bring up the power menu.
- From there, long-press the ‘Power off’ option until you see the 'Restart to safe mode prompt. (On TECNO and Infinix phones, you need to long-press the HiOS or XOS logo instead)
- Tap OK on the screen to reboot into safe mode.
- Wait for a few seconds until your device finishes rebooting, and you should see a "Safe mode" text in the bottom left of the screen.
Now that you’re in safe mode, navigate around the device and scroll through various system apps (like Chrome) to see if they work normally. If yes, that means an app caused the problem initially.
However, safe mode won't tell you which app caused the problem. So, you need to uninstall your apps one after the other to see if it fixes the issue.
- Restart your device normally to exit safe mode.
- Now, start by uninstalling your apps from the ones you downloaded recently.
- We recommend you restart your device after removing an app to see if it fixes the issue.
If the issue is not fixed after uninstalling an app, reboot your device and repeat the process.
Turn off developer options
Sometimes, a setting turned on in your phones developer options can affect your screen. If you've turned on a developer option unknowingly before your device stopped scrolling well, consider disabling it.
- Open your device’s Settings app
- Click on System
- Tap Developer options, then turn it off from the upper-right of the screen.
If you couldn’t find “Developer options” under the system settings, that means you’ve not turned it on earlier. Try the last solution below.
Reset your device
If you still experience scrolling lag and stutter after the Android 10 update, or none of the fixes above solved your phone's scrolling problem on Android 11 that means you need to settle for the last resort. With that said, you'll need to reset your device to factory settings.
That is usually the master solution to these types of issues. Meanwhile, ensure you back up your important data before doing this. Resetting your device will erase all your files and apps.
follow these steps to get the job done after backing up your files:
Note: A factory reset will wipe out your data on your phone so you should back up your phone firstly.
- Fire up your phone’s Settings app
- Tap System and click on Reset options.
- Select Wipe data (factory reset) from the options.
- You may read the information, then tap RESET to confirm your action.
- Finally, confirm your PIN, pattern, or password and wait for your device to reboot.
- Now, use your phone typically to see if the issue has been fixed.
Conclusively, Android phone scrolling problems and performance hiccups are not new to users after a system upgrade. However, the solutions mentioned in this article should help you out.
And if nothing works after all, you may need to wait for the next system update to fix the issue, or better still, roll back to the previous Android version.
