Declutter Diaries: Organizing Our Phones

By Y.M. Lowy

Welcome back to Declutter Diaries! This week, we’re tackling the digital mess because clutter isn’t just physical. Between overflowing inboxes, endless photos, and apps we never use, digital clutter can be just as overwhelming as a physical mess, and a little organization can make your phone more efficient. 

Organize This:

Apps & Home Screen Layout

    •    Delete apps you haven’t used in months. If you need it later, you can always redownload it. A cluttered home screen with too many icons can make finding the app you need harder.

    •    Organize remaining apps into folders by category (Work, Social, Entertainment).

    •    Place your most-used apps on the first screen for easy access.

Emails & Inboxes

    •    Unsubscribe from newsletters or promotional emails that you no longer want to receive.

    •    Create folders or labels for important emails, such as “Bills,” “Shidduchim,” or “Work.”

    •    Aim for inbox zero—delete or archive emails once they’ve been addressed.

Photos & Videos

    •    Delete duplicates, blurry photos, and random screenshots.

    •    Create albums to organize important memories by year, event, or people.

    •    Back up photos to cloud storage or an external drive to free up space.

Files & Downloads

    •    Empty your downloads folder—most files here are temporary and forgotten.

    •    Organize important documents into labeled folders (Taxes, Work Projects, Receipts).

    •    Delete old or unnecessary files to free up storage.

Subscriptions & Accounts

    •    Review your paid subscriptions. Cancel the ones that aren’t worth it.

    •    Check for unused online accounts and consider deleting them to reduce digital clutter.

    •    Update your passwords and store them securely in a password manager.

Notifications & Settings

    •    Turn off non-essential notifications to reduce digital distractions.

    •    Adjust your screen time limits if you find yourself scrolling too much.

    •    Organize your widgets or quick-access tools for a smoother phone experience.

One-Item Purge Challenge:

It might be time to scroll through your messages to delete old conversations like that one group chat you muted so long ago, which is full of abandoned plans, inside jokes that no longer make sense, and the occasional “Hey, is this group still active?” message left unanswered.

Myth Buster:

Myth: I don't have to care about the clutter on my phone because I can just buy more space. 

Truth: Just because you have the space doesn’t mean you should fill it. A clutter-free device makes it easier to find what you need and keeps things running smoothly.

Did You Know?

The average American checks their phone 205 times a day, or almost once every five minutes while we’re awake. That means the average American spends over 5 hours each day scrolling on their cell phones. At that rate, we spend over 2.5 months staring at our phones each year.

How Do You Do It?

Do you still have closets full of photo albums, or did you hop on the online storage bandwagon?

Photo: Shutterstock