Why Your reMarkable Suddenly Feels Slow (And 5 Things That Usually Fix It)

March 4, 2026

Every now and then, reMarkable users start noticing something a bit frustrating.

Pages take longer to open.
Switching between notebooks feels slower.
PDFs seem to take more time to load.

In most cases, this doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your device.

More often than not, it simply happens because of how files accumulate over time or how the device is being used.

Here are a few things that commonly cause this — and what you can do about it. ✨

1. Very Large PDFs 📄

One of the most common causes is heavy PDF files.

Some PDFs contain hundreds of pages or large scanned images. When the device tries to load them, it naturally takes longer.

If you regularly work with large documents, this can slow things down.

A simple solution is to split very large PDFs into smaller sections when possible.

Another thing that happens over time is that notebooks start to pile up.

At first it doesn’t seem like a problem, but after months of use you might end up with hundreds of notebooks stored on the device.

Even if you don’t open them often, the system still has to manage them.

Every now and then it helps to:

- delete notebooks you no longer need
- archive older documents
- keep only active files on the device

A quick cleanup can make the device feel much lighter.

Sometimes the device is constantly syncing with the cloud.

If the connection is slow or unstable, the sync process can remain active for a long time and affect performance.

If things feel sluggish, try:

- turning Wi-Fi off and on
- letting the device finish syncing
- restarting the device

Often that alone fixes the issue.

Many people rarely restart their reMarkable.

Unlike phones or laptops, the device can stay on for weeks without being rebooted.

But a quick restart every now and then can help clear temporary processes and make things smoother again.

It only takes a moment and can make a noticeable difference.

Another thing that occasionally comes up online is people trying to use one massive planner with thousands of links inside a single file.

On e-ink devices this can become very heavy and sometimes cause lag.

This is why most optimized planners are usually split into multiple lighter planners instead of one enormous file.

It keeps everything much more responsive.

The reMarkable is built to stay simple and distraction-free, but like any device, performance can change depending on how it’s used.

A quick cleanup, a restart, and keeping files organized can often bring everything back to normal.

If you’re looking for structured planners designed specifically for reMarkable devices, you can explore them here:

They’re built to work smoothly on reMarkable 1, reMarkable 2, Paper Pro and Pro Move while keeping everything organized and easy to navigate.