Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge how much joy you get out of your phone. It keeps you in touch with all of your nearest and dearest, it helps you find your way when you’re lost and it’s your go-to tool for capturing and storing all of your life’s memories. So, in true KonMarie Method fashion, kneel down and give your phone a moment of uninterrupted appreciation.
How to sort your apps
Before you can sort your apps effectively you need to firstly delete any that don’t ‘spark joy’. Take a look at each app individually and think about whether it enhances your life or makes you feel excited or content. Marie Kondo describes it as a sort of ‘powering up’ emotion. If it doesn’t, delete the app – but before you do, thank it for being useful for you at one stage in your smartphone journey.
Tip: you should have no more than two home screen’s worth of apps – so don’t be afraid to be a little cut-throat (in the nicest, most grateful way possible, of course).
Only once you’re faced with your best apps can you pick the top ones to move to the bottom of the screen where your thumb swipes. A few obvious choices are the ‘phone’ app (don’t forget what the device is actually for), your internet browser app, your music streaming service and your email or most-used messaging app of choice.
Here comes the fun part – organise all of your apps by colour within each of their folders. This gives your phone a more consistent look. And we’re all about our phones looking great, aren’t we?
Time to update your contacts
Scroll through your contacts and delete all of the numbers of people whose names aren’t instantly familiar to you. If there are six ‘Johns’ – we have a tip for you. Figure out who each one is by checking them out on WhatsApp and having a look at their profile picture. That’s a simple way of separating your best mate from a plumber you got a quote from in 2006. And while we’re on the subject of WhatsApp, you should also clear out old chats – and actual text messages (if anyone even sends text messages anymore).
It's also time to get unfriending on social media. If someone’s annoying preachy Facebook posts rub you up the wrong way – get rid. Old school friends you haven’t chatted to in decades and exes that are so happy with their new partner – bye bye. It’s time for your phone to represent your current life.
Delete old, pointless photos
This is the most time-consuming tip, but it just needs to be done. Focus on each photo. If it sparks joy, keep. If it doesn’t, delete. Eliminate things like screenshots you’ve taken and accidental pocket photos. Also, most of your photos are probably backed up anyway, so why do you need them on your phone? Deleting photos can be a hard thing to do – that’s why it’s best to take your time with it - maybe save it for a rainy Sunday.
Have you spring cleaned your phone? Do you have any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
