Spring is the time when many of us decide to clean out closets or organize our homes. It can also be a great time to clean up your digital storage (i.e. email, phone contacts, files). Have you ever considered cleaning out your email inbox, your cell phone contact lists, or photo files? Does this task seem daunting? See below for some great tips and resources to help you get your digital spring cleaning done.
- Make a list of all the email accounts you have and delete any you no longer use
- Update your passwords to make sure your accounts are secure
- Check your contact lists to make sure they are updated and delete old or duplicate contacts
- Declutter your inbox – file away old emails that you want to keep but don’t need in your inbox
- Unsubscribe from email ads or newsletters that you don’t read and clutter your inbox
- Delete emails in large groups by searching for common words
Phone
- Update your device operating system and apps
- Update passwords to your phone and app logins
- Review your contacts and delete duplicate or old contacts
- Confirm with contacts via text that you have their correct number
- Check your photo albums to delete photos that you don’t want or need that are taking up storage space in your phone
Computers
- Uninstall any software that you don’t use and that is taking up space in your computer’s system (this will free up space and help the speed of your computer)
- Review your saved files and organize in folders – keep what you need and delete old files that no longer serve a purpose (make sure you empty out your trash once you delete your old files)
- Back up your most important files
- Delete your browsing history and check your security preferences so your internet browsers can operate faster
While the task of digital spring cleaning can seem daunting, you will be happy with more organized and better running devices when you are done.
