Spring-clean your digital life

22 Oct 2025

How to declutter your phone, computer and inbox before the busy holiday season.

As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, many of us feel the urge to tidy up – clearing out wardrobes, scrubbing patios and giving our homes a fresh start. While you’re in the mood for renewal, don’t forget about an often-overlooked space: your digital world. A spring-clean of your phone, computer and inbox can make technology feel faster, lighter and more enjoyable to use.

Start with your smartphone, which can quickly become cluttered with forgotten apps and thousands of photos. Delete apps you no longer use or that duplicate others’ functions. Then, open your photo gallery – a few minutes spent deleting duplicates, screenshots and blurry snaps can free up gigabytes of space. Consider using cloud storage such as Google Photos or iCloud to automatically back up and organise your memories.

Next, give your computer an overhaul. Move rarely used files and old downloads into labelled folders or external storage and empty your recycle bin. If your desktop is covered in icons, create simple categories like ‘Work’, ‘Family’ or ‘To File’ to restore order. Running a quick system update and restarting your machine can also improve performance.

Email inboxes are another area that benefit from a deep clean. Start by unsubscribing from newsletters or promotions you no longer read – most can be removed with a single click at the bottom of the message. Then, sort old emails by sender or date, archiving anything you need to keep and deleting the rest. Setting up automatic filters can help keep things organised going forward, so priority messages stand out while the rest skip the inbox.

Finally, review your digital security. Update passwords (or better yet, use a password manager), enable two-factor authentication and delete any online accounts you no longer use. This helps protect your privacy and reduces digital clutter at the same time.

A few hours spent spring-cleaning your digital life can make technology less overwhelming and far more rewarding. You’ll reclaim storage space, improve performance and start the busy holiday season with a clear, organised head – and inbox – ready for the good times to roll.

Tip: Set a reminder to do a mini clean every three months. A little maintenance goes a long way towards keeping your digital world as fresh as your spring garden.