If you're like us, then you've got a ton of fingerprints on your computer and way too many photos on your smartphone. But to start 2018 with a clean slate (or at least, a clean screen), we're sharing 20 tech to-dos to help you get more organized before the year gets away from us all.
While some might take a bit longer than others, if you're able to tackle one every other day or so, you'll be at a fantastic starting point for the rest of the year -- and all those photos you know you're going to take.
Related: 10 things to knock off your tech to-do list right now
Organize apps on your phone. Simply drag two related apps together on your iPhone (like Instagram and Facebook) and you'll start a folder. Then, add other similar apps. Done.
Delete photos. Photo organization can be an overwhelming task, so break it up into a few steps. First, just go through your photos and delete the ones you know you don't need on there. That's it.
Create a central charging hub. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to set this up, but once I did it was such a lifesaver. We haven't lost a charging cable in months!
Purge your social media accounts. Let's just say we love that "unfollow" feature on Facebook. But really, take a few moments and go through your Twitter and Insta followers, along with your Facebook friends and see if everyone on the list should really be on the list.
Clean off tech. Grab a safe tech cleaner (we like
WHOOSH) and clean off all your screens, keyboards, and remote controls.
Free up space on your devices. free up some memory on your phoneGot apps you're not using anymore? Get rid of them and .
Label your chargers. If you're like us (or you have tweens or teens in the house), then you're always trying to track down your charger. Take a few minutes and pop labels on all the chargers. You can also purchase cables in different colors (or patterns) and assign each person a color.
Related: Smart tips to help you tackle digital clutter
Organize your cords. You don't need fancy
gadgets to organize all your cords and cables, but they do help (and they're pretty affordable). we love the
cord tacos from This is Ground.
Clean out your inbox. We love unroll.me to help cut down on unneeded subscriptions in our inboxes. Just make sure you don't lose the
Cool Mom Tech newsletter!
Back up your devices. Plug your phone and tablet into your computer to ensure all your data is backed up.
Check your passwords (and change them). The new year is a good time to reset passwords. We've started using
1Password with a lot of success, but it does take time to set up. Trust us, though. It's worth it. (We love it so much, they're now an affiliate. Seriously,
give it a try -- it's a lifesaver!)
Check your social media privacy settings. Now's the perfect time to
check your social media settings (especially Facebook).
Check your notifications. My phone is set to receive no
social media notifications, and I like it that way. If you're looking to give yourself a little break this new year, I suggest heading into your notifications on your phone and toggling them off (or on).
Related: 15 things you should stop putting off and do right now
Set up your Medical I.D., iPhone users. It doesn't take very long to
set up Medical I.D. but it could save your life.
Delete emails. While I've pretty much given up on inbox zero, it's good to take some time to delete old emails (or file them away) so they're not clogging your inbox. Liz has a great trick for
starting the year off fresh with your Gmail inbox.
Delete old texts and voice mails. I can't be the only one who never remembers to delete old texts and voice mails. If you're someone who needs to save text messages, make sure you've got those auto backed-up to your iCloud. Then delete. And if you need to save voice mails, remember you can
email them to yourself (or someone else).
Check your email signature. Whoops! I spent most of 2017 with incorrect information in my email signature. So, I took a few seconds to fix that and add some new information. Also, make a fun signature for your iPhone. Why not?
Delete (or organize) computer files. This might take awhile if you haven't done it consistently over the months (or um, years), but it will make your computer very happy with you.
Recycle (or sell) old tech. Clear out those drawers and
make some money. Or, donate and support a good cause. Whatever you do, don't toss your old tech in the trash!
Set up your new gadgets. I'm terrible at setting up new gadgets. Just me? I've got a fitness tracker sitting in my drawer that I've been meaning to set up for months. If you've gotten something new over the holidays and you haven't set it up, or you just haven't spent some time figuring it out, make some time to do that now.
Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash
