How to Declutter Your Smartphone

We’ve decluttered our homes, our wardrobe, and our calendars. Now it’s time to declutter your smartphone. I’m sharing a few tricks to simplify your tech life!

What if I told you you could do a major decluttering project in just a few minutes all while you sit on the couch? Don’t believe me? It’s true. In less time than you’d spend scrolling social media you can totally declutter your smartphone. Today I’m sharing how you can easily streamline and minimize your life by clearing the clutter in your phone.

1. Delete unused or infrequently used apps.

Did you know that the average person has somewhere between sixty to ninety apps on their smartphone? Do you know how many of those apps the average person uses on a daily basis? 9. What does that mean? That means you can clear up a whole lot of digital clutter by removing those unused apps.

I recently removed every single shopping app from my phone. You know what happened? Nothing. As it turns out, I didn’t even miss them. It’s just as easy to use my browser to view things I need, and it saves a ton of digital space. Plus, those shopping apps are designed to sell you more. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need the Target shopping app to spend too much money at Target. Get. Rid. Of. Them. Trust me, you won’t miss them. If you do, it will always be in your app store.

2. Organize and delete photos

I don’t know about you, but I use the camera on my phone way more than anything else. It was not uncommon for me to have 5,000 photos on my phone. If that sounds familiar, I can almost guarantee you there are hundreds of photos you can sort through and delete. I can’t even tell you how many accidental screen shots and pictures of the inside of my pockets I’ve deleted. It takes some time, but it frees up tons of storage space!

3. Delete old or unwanted notes

If you have an iPhone you’re probably familiar with the note app. It’s my go to for recipes I create, things I need to do, or even topics I want to blog about. There’s also random checklists, old to do lists, and notes I jot down during meetings. I had hundreds all the way back to 2017. Take a few minutes to scroll through yours, and delete any that are unnecessary now.

4. Unsubscribe from marketing emails

Once upon a time I would get nearly 200 emails every single day. Usually from stores advertising sales. It was overwhelming. You know what I did? I unsubscribed from them all. I found that once the advertisements stopped I was actually able to get my inbox cleared out, and stay on top of it. Anything that was important was seen easily and responded to quickly. It was transforming. Don’t neglect tackling your inbox, and hitting unsubscribe. You can always change your subscriptions settings on many marketing emails to receive fewer of them, too.

5. Delete old text threads

You won’t miss them. You really don’t need them. Trust me, just do it. Keep the threads you use the most, and delete the rest. It’s really one of the easiest ways to declutter your smartphone, and free up tons of storage! You can even set your phone to delete old text messages after so many days. Decluttering on autopilot. Sign me up!

6. Reduce your social media use

I’ve talked a little about taking a social media detox, and why I think it’s important, but I also think it’s a good thing to learn balance with our online presence. Many times we find ourselves mindlessly clicking the app icon and losing countless hours a week scrolling. Ask yourself these questions before you check into your social media accounts next…”Is it brining me joy and making my life easier? Is it uplifting me? Does this empower or teach me anything useful?” If you can’t answer yes to any of those questions, it’s probably time to break your social media habit. Truthfully, it’s always been a drain on me, and I’ve learned I’m happier and more productive when I limit my social media use. Try it out by deleting the apps off your phone. It may have a stronger grip on you than you think.

7. Turn off notifications

This one is my nemesis. I can not stand to see the little icon hovering over my apps telling me I have a notification. It drives me crazy. So, I countered it by turning off the notifications to every single app on my phone. (yes, even fb messenger) I don’t need to know in real time that Bob has liked my photo or that Linda is on IG live. Having a smartphone doesn’t mean you have to be available to everyone 24/7. If it’s really important they’ll call, and if it’s SUPER important they’ll leave a message. Give yourself a break, and don’t feel like you have to acknowledge every single notification immediately. Turn them off and breathe just a tiny bit easier.

“How you spend your time is how you spend your life.”. I’ve heard my Dad say that countless times. It dawned on me the other day that I really don’t want my life to be spent scrolling Pinterest, and getting lost in the sea of social media. I want my life filled with my family, my friends, and Jesus. Doing the things I love the most with the people who mean the most to me.

Here’s an image to pin for later…