As the seasons change or life gets busier, it’s easy to let digital clutter accumulate. While many people associate cleaning with tidying up their homes, it's just as important to extend that mindset to the digital realm—specifically to our smartphones and computers. Tidying them up can bring you numerous surprising benefits, ensuring that your digital life is organized, efficient, and most importantly, secure.

Below are six ways to clean your digital life – and tips on how to do it.

1. Free up storage for new photos, videos, and apps

Over time, our devices become overloaded with old files, apps we no longer use, and random downloads. This not only takes up space but can also slow things down. By clearing out unnecessary content, you ensure your phone and computer run smoothly while keeping room available for new memories and must-have apps.

How to clean up storage:

• Upload important photos and videos to cloud storage or an external drive.

• Delete unnecessary photos, videos, and downloads.

• Uninstall apps you no longer use—if you need them later, you can always reinstall.

2. Boost performance and extend battery life

Unused apps and background processes consume memory, leading to sluggish performance. Regular cleanup helps optimize its performance by removing redundant files and apps that may be running in the background. This results in a snappier and more responsive device, making everything you do on it a bit faster and more fun to do.

Unused apps also consume power in the background. By removing them and limiting background activity, your battery lasts longer, making your device more reliable throughout the day.

Steps to improve speed and battery life:

• Delete apps you don’t use anymore.

• Clear cache and temporary files in your phone’s storage settings.

• Use built-in memory optimization tools, if available.

3. Stay organized and improve efficiency

Cleaning is not just about deleting files; it's also an opportunity to organize and categorize your digital content. Create folders, sort photos, and organize apps into relevant categories. Organizing your phone and desktop not only make them aesthetically pleasing but it makes it easier to find what you need quickly, improving efficiency and reducing frustration.

Ways to stay organized:

• Group similar apps into folders (e.g., social media, work, entertainment, finances).

• Sort photos and files into albums or categorized folders.

• Use cloud services to store important documents for easy access.

4. Strengthen privacy and security

Cyber threats are rising, and keeping your security settings updated is crucial. Reviewing app permissions and deleting unused apps reduces vulnerabilities, on top of a cleaner look.

How to do it:

• Check app permissions and remove any that seem unnecessary.

• Turn off location tracking for apps that don’t need it.

• Review social media privacy settings and make your accounts private.

5. Improve password protection

Weak or reused passwords put your personal data at risk. 2024 was an especially difficult year regarding data breaches, as the “Mother of All Breaches” alone compromised 26 billion records of personal information – including passwords. If your credentials are compromised, hackers can take over your account – especially if you reuse passwords on multiple accounts.

A clean up presents a great opportunity to check your situation and fix any password issues you might have.

How to do it:

• Use a password manager to generate and store strong and unique passwords.

• Check if your credentials have been leaked with an identity protection tool.

• Change any compromised passwords immediately.

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for important accounts.

6. Use strong anti-virus and anti-malware/spyware software programs on your devices such as Digital Security by SaskTel, which offers protection for up to 10 devices for only $5/mo. for the first 3 months!1

In 2025, almost 20 million new malware variants have already been detected. Keeping your device clean ensures protection against cybercriminals looking to exploit outdated security measures.

¹Offer available to SaskTel Internet customer that are new Digital Security subscribers. Customer will receive a $5/month credit for the first 3 months. After the 3-month promotional period, regular pricing applies.