Digital Declutter: 7 Ways to Organize Your Phone and Computer

 

Your phone is a mess.

You have 47 apps you never use. Your photos are a disaster. You can't find anything in your files.

Your computer isn't much better.

Your desktop is covered in random files. Your downloads folder hasn't been cleaned out in years. And you have so many browser tabs open you can't even see the titles anymore.

It’s time for a digital declutter.

Just like your home, your digital life needs organizing. A cluttered phone and computer waste your time, drain your energy, and make everything harder than it needs to be.

Here are seven ways to organize your phone and computer.

1. Delete Apps You Don't Use 

Go through every app on your phone.

Ask yourself: When was the last time I used this?

If you haven't used it in the last month, delete it.

Yes, even if you paid for it. Yes, even if you might use it someday. Yes, even if it was highly recommended.

If you're not using it, it’s taking up space and cluttering your screen.

You can always download it again if you need it. But chances are, you won't.

On your computer, do the same thing. Uninstall programs you don't use. Free up space. Simplify.

2. Organize Your Apps Into Folders

The apps you use should be organized.

Group similar apps together in folders. Put all your social media apps in one folder. Put all your productivity apps in another folder. Put all your games in a folder.

Then, label the folders.

Put your most-used apps on your home screen. Put everything else in folders on other screens.

The easier it is to find what you need, the less time you'll waste scrolling.

3. Clean Out Your Photos

Your photo library is out of control.

You have duplicates. You have blurry photos. You have screenshots you don't need anymore.

Set aside time to go through your photos. Delete the bad ones. Delete the duplicates. Delete the screenshots.

Create albums for special events, vacations, and people. Organize photos so you can actually find them when you want to take a trip down memory lane.

If you have thousands of photos, don't try to organize them all at once. Do 100 photos a day. Or set a timer for 15 minutes and see how many you can delete.

Little by little, you'll get your photo library under control.

Back up your photos to a cloud service or an external hard drive. Don't rely on just your phone or computer. Technology fails. Backups save lives.

4. Organize Your Files and Folders

Your computer files are a nightmare.

Everything is on your desktop. Or buried in random folders with names like “New Folder (3).”

It's time to create a system.

Make folders for different categories: Work, Personal, Finances, Photos, Projects.

Within each category, create subfolders. Within Work, you might have folders for different clients or different years.

Move your files into the appropriate folders. Delete files you don't need.

Get everything off your desktop except shortcuts to your most-used programs.

A clean desktop is a happy desktop.

5. Clean Out Your Email

Your inbox has 12,847 unread emails.

Let's fix that.

First, unsubscribe from newsletters you don't read. If you haven't opened an email from a company in six months, it's time to unsubscribe.

Second, delete or archive old emails. You don't need every email from 2015.

Third, create folders or labels for different types of emails: Work, Bills, Travel, Family. Move emails into the appropriate folders.

Fourth, set up filters to automatically sort incoming emails. Emails from your boss can go straight to your Work folder. Receipts can go to your Finances folder.

The goal is inbox zero. Or at least inbox manageable.

6. Tame Your Browser Tabs

You have 37 browser tabs open right now.

Why?

If you haven't looked at a tab in over a week, close it. If it's something you need to remember, bookmark it.

Create bookmark folders for different topics: Recipes, Articles to Read, Work Resources, Shopping.

Bookmark the pages you want to keep. Close the tabs.

Your computer will run faster. Your brain will feel clearer.

Start fresh every day. Close all your tabs before you shut down your computer. Open only what you need.

7. Set Up a Maintenance Routine

Digital clutter creeps back in if you don't maintain your system.

Once a month, delete apps you're not using, clean out your photos, organize new files, and unsubscribe from emails.

Put your monthly digital declutter routine on your calendar. Make it a habit.

Ten minutes a month keeps your digital life organized and stress-free.

Take control of your digital clutter. Delete what you don’t need. Organize what you do need. Maintain the system.

A clean digital life is a productive life.