How to fix lag in mobile games: 10 fixes that actually help

Is it high ping or low FPS? How to tell the difference, and ten practical fixes for smoother BGMI, Free Fire MAX and Call of Duty: Mobile on the phone you already own.

Hacuna Nakata
14 Oct 2026 2 min read

Short answer: first work out whether your problem is network lag (high ping) or frame drops (low FPS), because the fixes are different. High ping is about your connection. Low FPS is about your phone, its temperature and your graphics settings.

Is it ping or FPS?

High ping: other players teleport, your shots don’t register and your character snaps back. Check the ping number in the game’s corner. Under 50 ms is great, over 100 ms is when you start to feel it.
Low FPS: the whole game stutters or looks choppy, even in menus or training mode.

Fixing network lag

Use Wi-Fi on 5 GHz if your router supports it. It’s usually faster and less crowded than 2.4 GHz, as long as you’re near the router.
Stop downloads and streaming on every device on the network while you play. One 4K video on the TV can push up your ping.
Pick the nearest server in the game’s settings. For players in India, that’s usually the India or Asia server.
On mobile data, find a better spot. Move closer to a window, and check whether your phone is switching between 4G and 5G. Locking it to one can help.

Fixing frame drops

Lower graphics, raise frame rate. In most shooters, a smooth frame rate matters far more than shadows and textures. Pick the highest frame rate option your phone supports and lower the graphics to match.
Keep the phone cool. Take off a thick case, avoid playing in direct sun, and don’t play while charging. A hot phone slows itself down to protect the battery.
Close background apps and restart the phone before a long session.
Turn off battery saver. It limits performance on purpose.
Keep at least 10 to 15 percent of storage free. A nearly full phone gets slower everywhere, including games.
Update the game and your phone’s software. Performance fixes often arrive in updates.

Still lagging?

If you’ve tried all of this and the game still struggles, the phone may simply be too old for that game. Our guide on how to choose a gaming phone covers what to look for without overspending. And if you just want something light to play in the meantime, try our list of the best offline mobile games.