5 digital cleanup hacks you didn’t know you needed

1 week ago 6

Let’s look it, our integer lives get messy.

Whether it’s thousands of unread emails, random screenshots cluttering your desktop oregon a downloads folder that’s fundamentally a graveyard, the integer gunk adds up fast. But cleaning it each up doesn’t person to beryllium overwhelming.

With a fewer astute automations and tools, you tin tidy up your tech and support things moving smoothly, without lifting a digit each week.

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A pistillate staring astatine her laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

Here’s your integer detox starter pack

1. Auto-archive oregon auto-delete aged emails

Still holding connected to newsletters from 2017? Set up filters to automatically archive oregon delete emails that are older than six months oregon from circumstantial senders.

For Gmail users

Search for aged messages:

In Gmail, benignant "older_than:6m" successful the hunt bar.
In Outlook, benignant by day oregon usage Advanced Find to find older emails manually.

Set up automatic cleanup:

In Gmail, click the sliders icon successful the hunt bar, past prime "Create filter."
Choose "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)" oregon "Delete it."
Then click "Also Apply to matching aboriginal emails."
Then pat "Create Filter."

For Outlook users

In Outlook, spell to "File" > "Manage Rules & Alerts" > "New Rule."
Start from "Apply regularisation connected messages I receive."
Filter by sender oregon subject, past acceptable an enactment similar moving to a folder oregon deleting.

For longer-term automation successful Outlook:

Use AutoArchive nether "File" > "Options" > "Advanced."
Define what counts arsenic aged and take whether to archive oregon delete those messages.

For AOL users

Search for aged messages:

Use the hunt barroom astatine the apical of your inbox and benignant "before:01/01/2024" (adjust the day arsenic needed).
Then prime "Search successful Mail" from the dropdown menu.

Set up automatic cleanup:

Unfortunately, AOL Mail doesn’t connection precocious filters similar Gmail oregon Outlook.
Instead, prime aggregate emails manually utilizing the checkboxes, past click Delete oregon Move to archive them.
Pro tip: You tin benignant by sender oregon day to marque bulk actions easier.

For Yahoo users

Search for aged messages:

In Yahoo Mail, benignant "before:2024/01/01" successful the hunt barroom to find messages earlier a circumstantial date.

Set up automatic cleanup:

Yahoo doesn’t connection existent automatic filters for deleting aged emails by age, but you can:Click the three-dot icon connected the left-hand menu.Go to Settings (gear icon) > Personalize your inbox > past toggle connected "inbox categories."Set a filter to determination definite emails to folders, past manually delete oregon archive from there.For manual cleanup, benignant by day oregon sender and bulk delete/archive arsenic needed.
Click the three-dot icon connected the left-hand menu.
Go to Settings (gear icon) > Personalize your inbox > past toggle connected "inbox categories."
Set a filter to determination definite emails to folders, past manually delete oregon archive from there.
For manual cleanup, benignant by day oregon sender and bulk delete/archive arsenic needed.

It’s retired of sight, retired of mind.

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2. Clean up your photograph album

Sort and delete screenshots and duplicate photos

Screenshots, burst photos and accidental snaps tin instrumentality up much abstraction than you'd expect. Here's however to cleanable things up, whether you're connected Team iPhone oregon Android.

How to find screenshots:

On iPhone

Click the Photos app.
Scroll down and tap Media Types.
Tap Screenshots. This volition amusement each your screenshots successful 1 place.

Sorting screenshots

In the Screenshots album, you tin pat the up/down arrow connected the bottommost near to uncover sorting and filtering options.
Now you tin click "Sort by Oldest First," "Sort by Newest First" or "Filter."

Remove duplicates:

Open the Photos app.
Go to Albums and scroll down to Utilities, past click on Duplicates.
Tap Merge to automatically harvester identical photos and prevention space.

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On Android

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer.

Find screenshots:

Open the Photos or Files app
Look for a folder labeled Screenshots (location whitethorn alteration by instrumentality oregon Android version)
Open screenshots successful grid presumption and manually long-press to prime and delete aggregate images astatine once

Find duplicates:

Open the Photos or File app and spell to the Clean tab
Tap it to reappraisal and delete duplicate photos, blurry images and different junk
Confirm deletion to reclaim storage

Note: Steps whitethorn alteration somewhat based connected your iOS mentation oregon Android device.

An Apple desktop machine connected a desk (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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3. Automate your downloads folder

Set it and hide it
Every record you’ve ever opened? Probably inactive hanging retired successful your Downloads. Luckily, some Macs and PCs connection built-in tools to support them clean.

Mac:

Click on Finder successful the dock.
Scroll down to applications and click Automator.
Choose "Folder Action" erstwhile prompted.
At the top, acceptable "Folder Action receives files and folders added to" > Downloads.
In the hunt bar, find and resistance in "Filter Finder Items."
Next, add "Move Finder Items to Trash" oregon take a antithetic folder.
Save the workflow. Your Mac volition present automatically cleanable up files older than 30 days. Set it to: Date Last Opened > is not successful the last > 30 days.

PC:

Turn on Storage Sense via Settings > System > Storage > Configure Storage Sense. Set it to cleanable up downloads aft 30 days.

You’ll ne'er person to manually bare that folder again.

4. Create a ‘junk drawer’ photograph album

Keep the clutter, but corral it
Instead of letting random screenshots, receipts, memes and throwaway photos heap up successful your main library, springiness them a location you don’t request to maintain. It’s similar a integer junk drawer.

On iPhone:

Open the Photos app.
Go to the Albums tab.
Tap the + in the top-left country and select "New Album."
Name it thing similar "Junk" oregon "Throwaways."
When reviewing photos, tap Select, take the ones you don’t request agelong term, past tap Add To and determination them into your "Junk" album.

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On Android (Google Photos):

Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer.

Open the Google Photos app.
Tap Library > + New Album.
Name the medium "Junk" oregon "Throwaways."
While browsing your photos, pat and clasp to prime aggregate images, past pat the three-dot menu and choose Add to album.

Why this helps:

Makes it casual to batch-delete throwaways erstwhile you’re debased connected space.
Keeps your main photograph room cleanable and easier to navigate.
Creates a intelligence cue during photograph reviews; if you wouldn’t miss it, nonstop it to Junk.

A antheral scrolling connected his smartphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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5. Rotate and fortify aged passwords

Use a password manager to audit your logins
Old passwords are integer skeletons successful the closet. A password manager tin assistance you find weak, reused oregon outdated passwords and suggest stronger ones.

When it comes to choosing the champion password manager for you, present are immoderate of my apical tips:

Deploys secure.
Works seamlessly crossed each of your devices.
Creates unique analyzable passwords that are antithetic for each account.
Automatically populates login and password fields for apps and sites you revisit.
It has a browser extension for each browsers you usage to automatically insert passwords for you.
Allows a fail-safe successful lawsuit the superior password is ever mislaid oregon forgotten.
Checks that your existing passwords stay harmless and alerts you if ever compromised.
Uses two-factor authentication security.

Get much details astir my best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 here.

Kurt’s cardinal takeaways

Taking power of your integer clutter isn’t conscionable astir esthetics, it’s astir ratio and bid of mind. Setting up filters successful Gmail and Outlook automatically helps wide retired emails you don’t need. Renaming and organizing your screenshots keeps your folders from turning into chaos. Automating cleanup tasks successful your Downloads folder saves you clip and stress. Creating a "junk drawer" medium for throwaway photos helps support your camera rotation clean. And rotating your passwords with the assistance of a password manager strengthens your information with minimal effort.

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Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech writer who has a heavy emotion of technology, cogwheel and gadgets that marque beingness amended with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business opening mornings connected "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s escaped CyberGuy Newsletter, stock your voice, a communicative thought oregon remark astatine CyberGuy.com.

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