5 digital cleanup hacks you didn’t realize you needed

In today’s digital age, it’s easy for our digital lives to become cluttered and messy. Thousands of unread emails, random screenshots cluttering our desktops, and a downloads folder that’s essentially a graveyard can quickly add up. However, cleaning up your digital clutter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a few smart automations and tools, you can tidy up your tech and keep things running smoothly without having to lift a finger every week.

One of the first steps to take in your digital detox starter pack is to auto-archive or auto-delete old emails. Holding onto newsletters from years ago can clutter your inbox and make it difficult to find important messages. Setting up filters in email platforms like Gmail, Outlook, AOL, and Yahoo can help automatically archive or delete emails that are older than a specified timeframe or from specific senders. This can help keep your inbox organized and free of unnecessary clutter.

Another area where digital clutter tends to accumulate is in our photo albums. Sorting and deleting screenshots and duplicate photos can help free up storage space on your device. On iPhone and Android devices, you can easily find and delete screenshots and duplicate photos to keep your photo library neat and organized.

Automating your downloads folder is another effective way to keep your digital space clean. By setting up automation tools on your Mac or PC, you can automatically clean up files in your downloads folder that are older than a certain timeframe. This can help prevent your downloads folder from becoming a cluttered mess and save you time and effort in manually cleaning it up.

Creating a ‘junk drawer’ photo album is a great way to corral random photos and screenshots that you don’t need to keep in your main photo library. By moving these throwaway photos to a separate album, you can keep your main photo library clean and easier to navigate. This also makes it easy to batch-delete throwaway photos when you’re low on storage space.

Lastly, rotating and strengthening old passwords is essential for maintaining your digital security. Using a password manager can help you audit your logins, find weak or outdated passwords, and suggest stronger ones. A password manager can also help you create unique, complicated passwords for each of your accounts and automatically populate login fields for easy access.

Taking control of your digital clutter is not only about aesthetics but also about efficiency and peace of mind. By implementing these digital detox tips and tools, you can keep your digital life organized and running smoothly without the hassle of manual cleanup.