Just like you maintain your car to keep it running smoothly, an annual checkup of your iPhone can prevent many long-term problems. Phones accumulate a ton of digital junk, and since a more organized device works better for longer, take advantage of the start of a new year to wipe it all out. Your iPhone may feel like new again by the time you’re done.
Delete apps you no longer use
We all download loads of apps that are hardly ever used. If you have more than one, consider uninstalling them to save space and bandwidth. Unused apps can sometimes slow down your phone and keep downloading updates automatically, which can eat into the limited bandwidth of your internet plan.
You can go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and select Enable near Offload unused apps. This will free up a lot of space. Then you can scroll down on the storage settings page, swipe left on apps you don’t use and select Wipe off to delete them.
Alternatively, you can go to your iPhone’s home screen, then press and hold an empty part of the screen until the icons start shaking. Swipe left until you are in the app library. You can now tap “X” next to apps you don’t use to quickly delete them.
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Change your wallpaper
When was the last time you changed your iPhone wallpaper? Go to Settings > Wallpaper to get started, and if that’s not enough, try downloading an app like Dynamic notch, which lets you create stylized designs around your iPhone’s notch. While you’re at it, get yourself a custom lock screen too.
Delete unwanted old photos and screenshots
Most people don’t bother deleting photos from their iPhone, but you probably don’t need to keep thousands of screenshots, memes, and other random photos. Browse your photo library and delete your unwanted photos and videos.
Clear shared calendars, reminders and notes
You may have created shared notes or added people to calendar entries and reminders. After a while, you should delete them unused shared data to protect your privacy. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Security Control > Manage Sharing & Access. Follow the on-screen steps and you’re done.
Adjust your screen time
If you want to scroll the doom less, go to Settings > Screen Time on your iPhone. Faucet See all activities to check the apps you use the most. Then you can tap each one and set a daily usage limit. You can also select the break time option to remind you to put the phone away after a certain period of time.
Free up your iMessage space
iCloud is amazing if you want to back up your phone, but backing up your messages is a double-edged sword: it backs up all sorts of spam and media files that you’ll probably never need. We have a complete guide to how to remove iMessage clutter from iCloud, which will help you free up space quickly. It will also ensure that when you upgrade to a new iPhone, your iCloud restore won’t carry years of junk files onto your new device.
Delete your unused subscriptions
We’re all guilty of starting subscriptions we don’t use, and you could save a lot of money by reversing that habit. Go to Settings > [YOUR NAME] > Subscriptions and get rid of the ones you don’t need.
Take a look at your phone’s battery
Before thinking about replacing your iPhone battery or buying a new iPhone, go to Settings > Battery to see which apps are draining your battery. Maybe this page will help inspire a New Year’s resolution like using Instagram less. You can also delete some of your more addictive apps and switch to mobile websites instead. Instagram is much less addictive than Safari.
Clear your app permissions
It’s never a bad time to review how much data your apps are using. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security on your iPhone and check each option to see which apps use different sensors on your device. Google Maps probably won’t work very well without location access, but TikTok probably doesn’t need location access at all.
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