Photography by Sumup Em
Just like your home, garage or garden, your digital spaces can get messy and cluttered over time. By giving your digital environment some TLC, you can reduce mental clutter, boost productivity and create a safer online environment for you and your family.
Here are 10 easy ways to spring clean your digital life this season.
1. EMAIL
Start by cleaning up your email. Clear your inbox by deleting or filing emails. Unsubscribe from newsletters, email alerts and mailing lists you no longer read. Set up filters to automatically sort incoming emails into folders and keep things organised. Tools like Unroll.Me or Gmail’s built-in filters can make this a breeze.
2. LAPTOP AND PC
Next, declutter your computer desktop and downloads folder by deleting duplicates and organising important files. Set up a simple, logical folder structure in your cloud storage or local drive with clear naming to help you find things. Cleaning your computer can also help improve the speed and performance of the device and software that you use. Always empty the bin when you’re done.
3. PASSWORDS
Replace weak and duplicate passwords with a complex and unique password for each account. Enable the strongest authentication tools, such as multi-factor or two-factor authentication wherever possible. Use a password manager to help you review, store, organise, protect and strengthen your passwords. Consider using a password, passcode, fingerprint, or facial recognition to log into all devices.
4. PHOTOS AND SCREENSHOTS
Go through your camera roll or photo library and give it a good clean out by deleting screenshots, blurry pics and duplicates. Organise your remaining photos into albums or back them up using services like Google Photos, Apple iCloud, or your storage of choice.
5. WEB BROWSERS
Start by tidying up your countless browser tabs by reading, filing or saving them as bookmarks in simple and easy-to-navigate folders. Delete unneeded bookmarks and remove unused extensions. Clear your browsing history, cookies and cache. Delete old autofill information and stored passwords, and ensure your browser is set not to store passwords. Delete unused browser apps or software on all devices.
Photography by Brianj Tromp
Photography by Kiril Krsteski
6. SOCIAL MEDIA
Delete any social media accounts or apps you no longer use. Declutter your social media by unfollowing people or accounts that longer bring you joy or value. Update your bios and clean up old posts. Review your privacy settings and manage your tracking and location services, Bluetooth, microphone and camera for each app.
7. APPS
Scroll through your phone and do an audit of the apps you actually use. Delete the ones you haven’t touched in months. Not only does this free up space, but it also reduces background activity that can slow things down. Update your apps regularly to reduce risks from malware and infections and keep them running efficiently.
Photography by Sara Kurfess
8. BACK UP
Don’t wait for a crash to remind you to back up files that are important to you. Ideally safeguard your important files, photos and documents in two places – the cloud and physical, such as an external hard drive. Protect all backup drives with a password.
9. NOTIFICATIONS
Remove countless notifications by going into your settings and turning off alerts that you don’t need or want, or that aren’t urgent. Disable non-essential alerts on your phone and apps for a calmer, more focused day.
10. THROW AWAY
Once you’ve done a spring clean of the tech you use, look at any old electronic devices that you own and no longer use and consider disposing of them securely. Before getting rid of any device, back up all files and then thoroughly wipe each one clean of your personal information.
Photography by Free Mrbai
Enjoy this complimentary magazine, and feel inspired to find endless possibilities to enhance your living.
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