How to Declutter your Phone

Your phone is probably like an extension of your hand at this point and it’s probably long overdue that you decultter your phone.

There quite literally is an app for anything and most of us use it for everything from an actual phone to a camera or file storage. It is this heavy use that often leads to a very cluttered phone screen. If you are trying to live a more organized life, learning how to declutter and taking the time to declutter your phone is a great place to start. 

Taking the time to learn how to declutter your phone may seem silly to some, but a cluttered and unorganized phone can cause your phone to slow down significantly. It can create risk when it comes to apps that store sensitive information. Ideally, you should organize your phone at least once a month, however, if yours does not change often, you can get away with doing it less often.

Here are 10 tips for decluttering your phone and speeding up a slow phone!

How to Declutter Your Phone

Remove Unused Apps

Most of us have a large number of apps on our phones, but how many do we really use? If you have not used an app in the past four weeks, there is a good chance you do not need it on your phone. If it is not being used, it is simply contributing to the clutter on your phone and should be removed. Later on, if you do find yourself needing one of the deleted apps, you can always reinstall. 

Archive or Download Photos

Our phone cameras are used on a daily basis, multiple times per day. This can lead to a whole lot of clutter on our phones. Instead of leaving all this clutter on your phone, upload them to the cloud. If you do not use cloud storage, transferring them directly to your PC is an option. Once they are safely backed up off your phone, delete any that you do not absolutely need to keep on your phone. In doing so you’ll both clear clutter and free up space. 

Because I’m paranoid about losing anything important, I utilize more than just Apple’s Cloud services. Prime photos is a favorite, and I really like that my photos can upload “in the background” while I’m using other apps or while sleeping with my phone plugged in. Dropbox is another great one I use to backup files, videos and pictures! And finally, google docs and google photos are also heavily used here.

Upload Notes

If you use a notes app, they can quickly pile up in numbers and become a cluttered mess. Instead, either copy them to a document or upload them to the cloud. Like your photos, once they’re safely backed up, remove any truly unnecessary ones from your phone. 

Clean up Contacts

Most of us have a contact list that could stretch miles long. Between work contacts, friends, family, schools, doctors, and more, the number of contacts can quickly add up. When you’re working on decluttering your phone, take the time to go through your contact list. Remove any that you no longer need. Once you do, making a call and finding a number will be much simpler. 

Delete Old Texts

Old texts can also create clutter on your phone and depending on the size of the texts, they may be taking up a large amount of space on your phone. If you think you may need a text later on, take screenshots or simply archive it. Otherwise, delete any that you are done replying to. 

Clean Your Phones Browser

Most of us use our phone’s internet browser in a way that results in numerous browser tabs being open at once. This not only creates a cluttered browser but also slows your phone down. Go through these tabs and close any that are not needed. Once you have done this, open the settings for your browser and clear the cache. This will remove any unnecessary data that your browser may be storing.

Create Folders by Type of App

Once you have done the tasks above, it is time to declutter your phone’s home screens. The easiest way to do this is by grouping like apps with like apps. To group apps and create a folder, touch and hold an app. Drag it on top of another like app to create a folder. Give your new folder a new name and repeat until your apps are organized. 

A few folder ideas are:

• Finance Apps
• Health and Fitness Apps
• Games
• Shopping
• Social Media
• Business

OR Try Color Coordinating Your Apps

After a suggestion from my friend Diana at DianaRene (the decluttering queen!), I changed from folders grouped by “type” to a color-coordinated folder system. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but now I’ll never go back.

I have a white, red, orange/yellow, green, blue and black folder on my second screen. On my main screen I have a single line with my calendar, gmail, camera and daily folder. In my daily folder are things I use everyday for quick and easy access.

Clear the Cache

Finally, open your phone settings and clear the cache of your phone. Cached items are small pieces of data that are stored by your phone but they are essentially unnecessary. By clearing it, you will free up even more space on your phone and help it to run smoother and quicker.

After you have decluttered your phone, it can be a good idea to set up other settings that will optimize it as well. These can include things such as battery optimization, screen brightness and blue light filters. The more you optimize your phone, the better it will run so it is well worth taking the time to do so. After all, isn’t a smoother and faster phone the whole purpose of decluttering it?

I hope these tips on how to declutter your phone have helped you get a jump start on decluttering your own!

For more lifestyle swaps, check out my green living posts below:

12 Easy Ways to Live Sustainably in 2021

Easy Ways to Begin Living a Low Waste Lifestyle

7 Simple Steps to Sustainable Living