Time To Spring clean your smart phone
OK, so, when you’re making your spring cleaning list it’s important to add your cell phone to it. Face it, through
the year’s worth of use your phone’s memory is full, apps are running slower, so it’s time to refresh that phone and clean/tune it up a bit.
Here’s a few ideas:
Make sure it’s backed up
Check your phone’s manual or just google for your phone type and backup. You can backup to the cloud (if you trust it) or to you local PC. Connect and follow the instructions and away you go. Do this first to avoid losing anything that may be of some importance. Actually, you should be doing this periodically anyway.
Delete unused apps
If you’re not using them, you don’t need them. And, you could use the memory for something else.
Close all open apps
Open apps take memory. They also reduce performance on your phone. Frankly, you should periodically be closing all your open apps anyway and periodically doing a power cycle (off/on) of your phone just to give it the chance to clean up its act.
Make sure your apps are up to date
Chances are you’ve been hounded by your phone already about apps needing updating, but you could be like many folks that just don’t update their apps…and since some apps need connection to a higher speed source (wifi, etc) you may have had to delay doing your updates. Do it now. If you’re low on memory you may have to stagger the updates and do only a few at a time.
Frankly, it’s best to keep current on your apps. What I like to do is open my app update icon, then select update all. I generally do this in the evening before hitting the shower or pillow…and when I get up everything is generally updated, charged and ready to go.
Transfer your pictures, etc
OK, so you’ve been using your phone as a camera and a repository for all kinds of pictures, documents and
whatever your needs are. It’s time to move them off the phone and onto some form of external storage. This can be your PC, cloud(if you trust it), or whatever devices work best for you. The process varies by phone type but generally just plug your phone into the USB port of your PC and follow the software/manufacturer’s instructions and you’re gold.
Delete old emails and text message
Again, if you don’t need it, don’t keep it. Memory on a cell phone is expensive. And, chances are that ping you did to the friend you’ve not seen since 3rd grade isn’t a high priority item to be keeping.
Delete old histories
Many of your apps, especially your internet browswers, are potentially keeping massive amounts of historical data that not only do you not need to keep having around, you may not want some others knowing it’s out there. So, delete it. The methods will vary based on the apps…but start with your internet browsers, etc., and work from there. Frankly you should be doing this periodically anyway as these apps and their history logs are generally just a waste of space.
Give it an external wipe down
OK, you’ve cleaned up the insides, now it’s time to clean up the outside. Over short periods of time you’d be surprised how much stuff gets in the cracks of your phone…all kinds of bugs, viruses, bacteria, etc., and frankly, you don’t need to be exposing yourself to that kinda stuff every day anyway. Again, this is something that you really should be considering doing periodically. Don’t soak your phone in a solution as this will trash your phone and your warranty, but a damp cloth carefully used will work wonders!
Good luck and safe phoning!
I’m Don Rima and that’s the view From Where I Stand.