Is It Time to Declutter Your Phone?

Like many people I’ve been on a cleaning kick, with the new year and all. I’ve been taking a more thoughtful approach, so I’m not left with stuff strewn everywhere. I’m more of a ‘clean one drawer at a time’ kind of girl now. The little-by-little approach seems to work better for me. I’ve taken this strategy to heart when it comes to one of the most cluttered of my spaces, my phone.

Mental and visual clutter on my phone feels like physical clutter

The photos and notes on my phone don’t take up physical space, per se, but somehow when I open my device to try and find something the clutter exists. It could be in the form of an app I no longer use, or 50 pages of notes I incessantly add to. My phone is basically my peripheral brain so I’m in there often, but I’d be lying if it didn’t sometimes I feel like I’m in a virtual episode of the TV show ‘Hoarders’ trying to find something in there.

Clearing space on the phone like you’d clear a room in your home

The phone I use happens to have great search features so I can usually put my hands on what I need. However, in the same way that I’ll tidy a room to feel refreshed and have a new outlook, the same goes for how I feel about the electronic spaces on my phone. I want to be able to see the most important things and have clarity about what I’m doing and focusing my time on.

My favorite strategies for clearing out my phone

I get the best results by cleaning out my phone on a long-haul flight. There’s something about being offline, unhurried, and slightly bored that makes it easier to make decisions. But travel isn’t aways on the cards so my other favorite way to clearing out is to do it in short bursts. I might do it waiting at the doctor’s office- ten minutes here, five minutes there. It’s so satisfying to watch the photo album count go down.

Ideas for decluttering your device

You don’t need a complicated system. Most phone clutter falls into a few predictable categories. Tackling these areas is like taking care of your electronic hygiene.

1. Saves from social media
Saved posts start out as “I’ll come back to this” and quietly turn into a graveyard of half-ideas. If you haven’t opened it again in months, you probably won’t. Be ruthless.

2. Photos you’ve taken
This is the big one. We take multiple versions of the same moment, just in case. But “just in case” adds up quickly. Pick the best one. Delete the rest.

3. Screenshots
Screenshots are the junk drawer of my phone. Recipes, quotes, outfits, reminders, things you didn’t have time to deal with at the moment. They pile up fast and make it harder to find anything useful later.

4. Notes you meant to act on
Notes can be powerful but if they’re hidden between lots of other info you’ll never use, they’re useless. If you’ve written something down, it deserves a next step. Do it, schedule it, move it, or delete it. Loose notes create mental static.

Acting as soon as possible can help you avoid tough decisions later

There are moments in life when decluttering becomes slightly more urgent because they’re instances where you might be likely to have a difficult time culling later.

When you have a baby
Everything changes so quickly. A photo that’s three months old already feels historic. If it’s still on your phone after that point. Take it from my own experience, you’ll take a thousand photos a day of your little one, be sure to cull at the end of the day or you’ll find it impossible to get rid of any.

When you go on holiday
Take all the photos. Absolutely all of them. But on the plane home, do a first cull. Delete the duplicates, the blurry versions, the ten almost-identical shots of the same view. Future you will be very grateful. As an aside, just before your holiday is also a perfect time to declutter. Remember what I said about cleaning out my phone being one of my favorite plane activities? You’re about to be inundated with new media, might as well make room.

When you’re suddenly inspired
Be honest with yourself. Are you really going to make that croquembouche? The recipe will still exist when you search for it later. Constantly managing ideas can get in the way of actually doing anything. Sometimes deleting is the most productive option.

And sometimes, rather than deleting, an image or idea just needs a better home. Here are some of the ones I find the most useful to include in my albums.

Folders that help organize the things I want to keep

Creating a few intentional folders can stop everything from living in the amorphous “screenshot” abyss.

Wishlist
This is my safer version of adding things to a shopping cart and not checking out. It’s a reminder of things I thought I wanted, and often a celebration of money I didn’t spend. It’s also handy when someone asks what you want for your birthday. 😊

Food ideas
Why is figuring out what to eat so complicated? When I’m stuck on dinner or trying to remember the healthy meals I genuinely enjoy, this folder saves me from decision fatigue.

Outfits
Photos of outfits you loved wearing help you see what you own, what works, and what to pack. I usually take a selfie after I get dressed. It’s the best we’ve got until someone finally creates that wardrobe software that Cher has in ‘Clueless’.

Cleaning is an ongoing process and that’s okay

As of right now, my three-year-old phone holds 11,970 photos and 9,957 screenshots. It’s dire, I know.

I’m writing this as encouragement — mostly to myself — to tend to this very modern form of cleaning. Not to make everything perfect, but to make my phone feel inviting again instead of overwhelming.

Also, if you do happen to like this idea, don’t just save this as a screenshot or social post, be sure to schedule it in, maybe forward to a friend if you like. 😊