How to Speed Up an Android Tablet

What you'll need

• An Android tablet (even an older one that's been bothering you with slow performance)
• A computer with ADB (Android Debug Bridge) installed
• A USB cable
• A bit of patience :)

1. Enabling Developer options and USB debugging

1. Settings → About tablet
2. Tap "Build number" 7 times until you see a message saying you're now a developer
3. Go back to Settings → a new "Developer options" entry will appear

4. Enable "USB debugging"

   

2. Connecting the tablet via ADB and removing manufacturer bloatware

Linux

1. Install ADB

   sudo apt install android-tools-adb

2. Connect the tablet to your computer with a USB cable and check the connection:

   adb devices

3. Confirm the "Allow USB debugging?" dialog on the tablet (check "Always allow from this computer") and run the adb devices command again. You should now see the device listed as connected.

Windows

1. Download the SDK Platform-Tools directly from Google: developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools (the "Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows" link).
2. Unzip the downloaded ZIP file
3. Open that folder, hold Shift and right-click on an empty area within the folder → "Open PowerShell window here" (or "Open Terminal here" depending on your Windows version).

4. Verify that ADB works:

   .\adb.exe --version

5. Connect the tablet with a USB cable. Windows should install the driver automatically.

6. Run:

   .\adb devices

   and confirm the "Allow USB debugging?" dialog on the tablet, then run the adb devices command again. You should now see the device listed as connected.

   

Tip: If the tablet doesn't respond at all after connecting, or shows up as unauthorized in adb devices, disconnect the cable, go to Developer options on the tablet and select "Revoke USB debugging authorizations", then reconnect – the confirmation dialog should pop up again.

Removing manufacturer bloatware

ADB doesn't fully delete apps (that would require root), but it removes them for the current user – they disappear, stop running in the background, and can be restored later if needed!

First, list all installed packages:

adb shell pm list packages

To remove a specific app, run:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 package.name

Tip: Try copying your package list into an AI chat – it can help you figure out what can safely be removed for your particular use case.

Examples of typical bloatware (names vary by manufacturer – Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo, etc.):

• Facebook / Facebook services (often preinstalled and can't normally be deleted)
• Various manufacturer "assistants" and "optimizers", as well as built-in Google apps
• Duplicate cloud apps (the manufacturer's own cloud service, app store, etc.)

• Below is the command I used to remove Google and Lenovo apps on my old tablet, which aren't needed for a Home Assistant dashboard:

  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.youtube 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.maps 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.photos 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.gm 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.videos 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.music 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.chrome 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.lenovo.appmarket 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.lenovo.browser 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.facebook.appmanager 
  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.facebook.services

  

Careful: Don't remove system packages you're not sure about (e.g. anything with "systemui", "settings" or "launcher" in the name) – you could break the tablet. If in doubt, just disable the package instead (see below) rather than uninstalling it. 

If you'd rather just disable an app (a safer option, since it can be re-enabled anytime):

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 package.name

3. Turning off animations in Developer options

Window and transition animations look nice, but on older hardware they unnecessarily eat into performance and make the system feel "laggy". In Developer options, look for:

• Window animation scale → Off
• Transition animation scale → Off
• Animator duration scale → Off

By the way, you can set the same values directly via ADB:

adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0
adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0
adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

4. More tips for speeding up an old tablet

• Check your storage – nearly full storage (over 90%) significantly slows down even older Android devices. Clear cache and remove unused apps.
• Use a lighter launcher – if the tablet is dedicated to a single app (e.g. a Home Assistant dashboard), consider a kiosk launcher that offers nothing else and saves resources.
• Fully Kiosk Browser – a popular choice specifically for Home Assistant dashboards, with features like waking the screen on motion, motion detection via camera, and more.
• Turn off unnecessary wireless interfaces – Bluetooth, NFC, mobile data (if the tablet has a SIM), if you're not using them.
•  

Summary

By combining bloatware removal, disabling animations, and a few other tweaks, even a 5+ year old tablet can work as a snappy dashboard for Home Assistant or any other purpose. No root or custom ROM flashing needed – plain ADB commands alone can make a huge difference.