In a January 1 article for WIRED, Jill Duffy shares a few simple tech cleanup tips to help you, and your devices, start the year off smoothly. Instead of making big New Year’s resolutions, she suggests dedicating the day to quick digital chores for a better, clutter-free tech life. Here’s a summary of her advice:
- Dump your computer’s trash: Start your cleanup by clearing out files you no longer need.
- Close excess tabs and clear your browser history: Bookmark important tabs in Chrome, then delete your browsing data on both desktop and mobile to keep things running smoothly.
- Use compressed air to clean your devices: Dust and crumbs can slow things down. Use compressed air to clean keyboards, ports, and other device openings.
- Tidy up the desktop: Move loose files into a folder, Duffy suggests naming it something like “2025 and older.” Organize files in a way that makes them easy to find later.
- Unsubscribe from unwanted emails: Instead of deleting unwanted messages, unsubscribe. Using an email alias for deals and promotions can help keep them separate from important emails. Duffy notes: “The reason I prefer using an email alias rather than your real address is because of what happens when companies sell your information to a third party.”
- Back pp the photos on your phone: Depending on your cloud storage, this could take half an hour. Set up automatic backups, keep your favorite photos on your phone, and delete the rest to free up space.
- Give your google drive files a once-over: Check for unexpected or unnecessary files, like large PDFs from QR code scans or old email attachments. Duffy recommends starting with files Shared with me in Google Drive.
- Scan any loose but important papers: Scan and digitally store important papers, then responsibly shred or recycle the originals.
- Run a privacy checkup: Review your online accounts, especially social media and Google, to ensure your data-sharing settings are up to date.
- Review and cancel subscriptions: Look at streaming services, memberships, and other recurring charges. Cancel anything you no longer need, Duffy suggests keeping only one streaming service at a time to simplify things.
To sum up, instead of big New Year’s resolutions, Jill Duffy suggests spending a little time on simple tech cleanup tasks, such as clearing clutter, backing up files, and checking privacy settings, to start the year with a smoother, more organized digital life.
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my experimental learning process. For full details, check out Jill Duffy’s original WIRED article.