How to speed up the Moto X for even faster performance

Become an ARTist

You probably saw this one coming a mile off. I love ART, the new Android Runtime that will replace the aging Dalvik Runtime in the next version of the operating system, Android 5.0. Now, the Moto X already runs a near stock version of Android will a light sprinkling of Moto features on top, so the interface experience is already pretty much as fast as it gets without going for a Google Play edition device.

But if you hit the Developer Options in Settings (Go to Settings > About Phone and tap Build number repeatedly to bring them up) you can switch your runtime from Dalvik to ART and have your apps pre-compiled for faster launching and responsiveness. It's still a little patchy in KitKat, and not every app works on ART yet, but it'll give you a taste of the speed to expect in Android 5.0. When that version hits, all apps new and old will be ART-compatible.

• Here's three things you should know about ART.

Curb your widget lurve

Personally, I love widgets. Full screen fields of glorious information whenever I feel like scrolling. To me it's like having a custom newspaper at my fingertips. But all those widgets, whether they are news, weather, Reddit or whatever, are constantly syncing and updating to keep you informed, even when you're not paying attention. So if you can live without all those widgets, ditching them will speed up your home screen experience.

Stay up to date

Another obvious one. App developers are constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of their apps and this is also why every firmware update always comes with performance enhancements. Keeping your apps and firmware on the latest version is the best way to ensure system wide performance, from the core operating system to each and every app you use on it. If you're not using an app, deleting it is a good idea too: no more syncing, updating or background processes sucking up your valuable bandwidth or processing power.

Be less animated

You may not realize this, but every time a new window pops up, a menu appears or you transition from one screen to another – like when you hit the recent apps button – your Moto X transitions with tiny animations. While turning these off doesn't really make your phone any faster, the snappiness of the transitions between elements will make it seem like it is and you will be able to enter information in the window, switch apps or make your selections faster because you're not waiting for an animation to complete its time on center stage.

Use Tasker/Greenify

If you have root, use Tasker. Just cos. If you don't, try Greenify. Both apps will let you see which apps are doing what, what processes are running in the background and let you manage them all. Tasker, because it requires root, gives you complete control over your device, allowing you to set all sorts of rules, like when to disconnect Wi-Fi, when to dim the screen and other great battery saving and performance enhancing actions. Greenify is a little more of a monitoring app, but if you start to learn which apps are running excessive processes you can make wiser choices about which ones you actually want on your phone. You can of course also make use of the hibernate and task killer options too, but keep in mind most of those tasks you ''kill'' will simply start up again after a few moments. Hibernation is a much better option.

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How do you speed up your Moto X? What do think is the slowest feature of the Moto X?