Start the Year Fresh with a Digital Spring Cleaning
- January 22, 2024
- 6:58 am
To start 2024 on a positive note, a good idea is to clean up your digital life, like doing some “spring-winter cleaning.” This means getting rid of things you don’t need, turning off things that distract or annoy you, and improving how you take care of your digital stuff. This can help you have a more productive year ahead.
1. Delete stuff you don't need
Let’s start by cleaning up your computer! First, delete files you don’t need anymore. It might take some time because we all have a lot of files. Don’t stress about it. Break it into small steps, like deleting 10 or 20 files each day.
Look in these places for unnecessary files:
Desktop
Clear out old shortcuts and files. It gives you more space and makes things neater, boosting your productivity.
“Old Desktop” folder
Check if you have folders like this on your computer. Get rid of them, even if they’re nested (folders inside folders).
Downloads folder
Delete old documents, installation files, and pictures. Clean it on your computer, smartphone and tablet.
Smartphone’s photo gallery
Delete duplicate photos, random screenshots, and accidental videos. Use apps that find duplicates to save memory.
Cloud storage
Like the Old Desktop folder but in the cloud. Do you need all those files? Maybe it’s time to delete some.
Large files and duplicates
Quickly free up space on your computer by deleting large files or duplicates. You can use features in the Kaspersky app to find and remove them.
Once you delete these files, don’t forget to empty the Recycle Bin on your computer or the “Deleted Photos” folder on your smartphone.
Cleaning up your digital world can make your computer faster and give you more space. It’s like tidying up your room – it feels good and helps you focus better!
2. Organize Your Email and Messaging Apps
Now, let’s tidy up your email and messaging apps. It’s an important step in your digital cleanup to make things more organized and improve your experience.
Here’s what you can do:
Clear out unread messages
The red numbers on your messaging apps can be overwhelming. Take some time to go through unread emails and messages. Break it into small steps, aiming to have fewer unread items each day until you reach zero. This helps you stay on top of new messages and prevents you from missing important things.
Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails
Get rid of email newsletters and messenger channels that you don’t need. It reduces the clutter in your inbox, making it easier to reach that goal of zero unread items.
Delete old messenger chats
Say goodbye to old messages that are no longer relevant, like conversations about an apartment you moved out of years ago. Clearing out these chats helps declutter your messaging apps.
Remove emails with large attachments
If your email provider warns you about running out of storage, a quick fix is to delete old emails with large attachments. Most email programs allow you to find them easily. For example, in Gmail, you can search for emails larger than a specific size and delete them.
Clear out the spam folder
Check your spam folder and delete any accumulated messages. While individual spam emails don’t take up much space, clearing out the folder helps you stay away from your mailbox limit.
Tidying up your email and messaging apps will make your digital communication more efficient and less overwhelming. It’s like cleaning out your closet – getting rid of what you don’t need makes finding things much easier!
3. Close Outdated Browser Tabs
Now, let’s tackle the browser, the tool we use the most. Those old tabs you’ve left open for months or even years not only consume your device’s memory but also make finding relevant information a challenge. Plus, having too many tabs can hinder your browser updates, a crucial part of maintaining good digital hygiene.
Take the time to close unnecessary tabs across all your browsers, including on your smartphone. You have two approaches: either swiftly close all tabs without worrying about their contents, or gradually close them in batches of 10–20, checking along the way for anything important. You can bookmark or group the tabs you still need.
While we’re on the topic of browsers, clear their cache. If you haven’t done this before, you’ll be surprised at how much space it frees up. Also, review the extensions in your browser. If there’s something you’re not using, now is the perfect time to remove it. Keep your digital space tidy and efficient!
4. Trim Down Unnecessary Subscriptions
In today’s digital age, almost every online service offers a paid subscription, if not multiple. These subscriptions can quickly accumulate and become overwhelming. The problem is that many people aren’t fully aware of how much they’re spending on these subscriptions, often underestimating the total costs.
Canceling unnecessary subscriptions not only provides immediate financial benefits but can be more significant than you realize. However, the task isn’t always straightforward. You need to remember all your subscriptions, gather and organize information about them, and figure out which ones to unsubscribe from. There might also be family subscriptions with duplicates on various devices.
The good news is there’s a handy app called Subs Crab for managing subscriptions. It organizes information about all your subscriptions, calculates monthly expenses, provides a convenient schedule, warns you about upcoming payment dates, guides you on canceling a specific subscription, and even suggests alternative options or promo codes and discounts for renewals. Taking control of your subscriptions has never been easier!
5. Declutter Your Smartphone: Delete Unused Apps
Chances are, your smartphone has apps that you haven’t touched in over a year, or maybe you’ve never even opened them. These apps not only take up precious device memory but can also quietly use internet data, drain your battery, and, importantly, clutter your interface while potentially collecting data about you.
It’s time to say goodbye to these unused apps! If you delete just one unused app each day, your smartphone’s home screen will be clutter-free within a month or so.
For a quicker solution, you can use the Unused Apps feature included in Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium subscriptions. It identifies apps you rarely use, allowing you to delete them all at once.
Keep in mind that some Android apps, protected by the smartphone manufacturer, cannot be uninstalled even if you don’t need them. These might include a proprietary browser or an unused social network client. However, there are special methods to uninstall such apps, which we’ve detailed in a comprehensive guide. Streamline your smartphone for a cleaner and more efficient experience!
6. Minimize Annoyances: Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications
Constant notifications from various apps can disrupt your digital peace of mind. Whether it’s a fitness tracker or a calculator, notifications bombard us from every direction. Thankfully, we have control over our phone settings. Take a moment to review the list of apps that can send notifications and trim it down.
There are two approaches to this. The first is a bold move: disable notifications for all apps except the crucial ones like banking apps, work tools, and messengers. The second is a more moderate approach: identify apps that excessively send notifications without reason and turn off notifications for these bothersome apps.
Additionally, consider adjusting notification settings in messengers for less important contacts, channels, and chats. Explore focus mode settings available on modern operating systems like Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows, and macOS. These settings help limit the number of notifications and other digital distractions for a specified period.
Taking control of your notifications can significantly reduce unnecessary interruptions and contribute to a more serene digital experience.
7. Secure Your Online Presence: Remove Unused Accounts
Having accounts with various online services, even the less crucial ones, comes with potential risks. If one of your accounts gets hacked, it could be misused for fraud, illegal activities, or attacks on others—all linked to your name. If a bank card is tied to such an account, the consequences could be severe.
To mitigate these risks, it’s advisable to delete accounts you no longer need. While this cleanup task might seem daunting, it’s crucial. Take it one step at a time by deleting at least one unnecessary account per week. Additionally, consider using a password manager to keep all your accounts in one secure place, making login processes more manageable.
If any of the services you use face a security breach, a password manager will notify you, allowing you to promptly change passwords or delete compromised accounts.
8. Enhance Password Security: Change Weak Passwords
Ensure your password security by using a tool like Kaspersky Password Manager. It identifies unsafe passwords due to data breaches or reuse across multiple accounts. The risk of compromised passwords is evident—if attackers know your password, your account’s security is compromised.
If you use the same password for multiple platforms, the danger lies in credential stuffing. If one service is breached, attackers may attempt to use the password to access other accounts, putting multiple accounts at risk.
Unsafe passwords should be changed immediately. Kaspersky Password Manager helps by generating secure, unique passwords using a random password generator. It stores them securely in an encrypted form and syncs passwords across all your devices. You only need to remember the main password for the manager, which encrypts the entire password database and is stored only in your head.
For streamlined digital cleanup processes, consider using Kaspersky Premium. It offers comprehensive protection, productivity tools, a password manager, and other features essential for effective digital housekeeping across all your family’s devices.
