Checklist: How To Clean Up Your Digital Self

If you run out of storage or can’t find important information on your computer, smartphone or in the cloud, it’s time to clean up your digital devices. But that’s not the only reason why a clean-up is a good idea. It’s much easier to protect personal and company data when you know what’s stored on your devices. Start the clean-up with this list:

1. Check apps and programs

Review the programs folder on your computer and the apps on your phone. Delete any that you haven’t used in a while. You can use deinstallation programs to ensure software is completely removed from your devices.

2. Clean out online accounts

From Dropbox to Google Drive, clean up all the online storage you use and delete unnecessary accounts. Then take care of your email. Unsubscribe from newsletters that you don’t read; restrict social network communications; and delete unused customer accounts from which you receive notifications.

3. Check contacts

Take a look at your contact list. Have addresses or telephone numbers changed? Make updates  as needed and delete all contacts that you no longer need. Make sure the same contact doesn’t pop up several times with a different name.

4. Sort your online folders

Sort everything you’ve parked on the desktop into the appropriate folders. Do the same with your downloads. Then it’s time to audit them: Systematically go through all folders and delete what you don’t really need. Use an external hard drive to save important files, such as photos.