Spring clean your smartphone every once in a while and you're likely to see a big improvement in its performance.
Just by adjusting a few settings and removing some of the stuff you no longer need, like old emails and text messages, you could make your phone run better and last longer between charges.
Follow these simple steps to a de-cluttered, optimised phone. |  |
The first rule of smartphone spring cleaning is to backup any important data, including contacts, text messages, photos and apps, before uninstalling anything or changing any settings.
The easiest way to back up your mobile data is to save it to a microSD card, or you can create a special folder on your desktop and keep your backups on your computer.
Take a deep breath… it's time to blow away those digital cobwebs and give your mobile a makeover.
Take a good look at your inboxes - how many of those SMS, MMS and email messages do you actually need to keep on your mobile phone? It may seem like a small point, but most smartphones sync with your email provider at least once a day and will store local copies of all your received, sent and junk emails.
Back up the messages you need to your microSD card, then blitz the rest to free up valuable internal memory space. Even if you've only got around two hundred old emails and SMS messages in total, removing them could help make your phone run better.
Uninstall all of the apps that you don't use anymore, or they'll sit cluttering up your home screen and taking space, which you could use to store exciting new stuff. Use a dedicated uninstaller programme to ensure that you remove the whole app, as some programmes are known to leave traces behind, like user profiles and saved files.
Sync your smartphone with your PC library, to make sure that all of your music files and photos are up-to-date. Then use your phone's PC software to easily delete any music that you no longer listen to, and any photos that you have stored on your computer.
Out with the old and in with the new… now that you've de-cluttered your phone's home screen and memory card it's time to check for new software updates. Major software updates are very important because they can dramatically improve your mobile's performance and fix known bugs. Even the minor ones make a difference to how well your phone runs, so make sure to check regularly for updates.
Depending on your phone's operating system you can either check for software updates from the settings menu or use the PC software included to check for updates on your computer.
Before you start to fill up your phone with apps and media files again, take the time to organise your home screens. Whether you've got three pages, seven or ten, it's important that every screen does what you need it to. Try and give each page its own theme, from social networking to games and location-based services - you'll soon find it easier to locate what you're looking for.
Always-on services like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® and GPS use up a lot of internal memory, battery and processor power, unless you turn them off. Manage your data connections carefully, or download a compatible app to do it for you, like Locale. Your phone will last longer and have more internal memory available for apps and processes.
A simple spring cleaning session can do wonders for your smartphone, and by now it should be running a little better. If not there's always the factory reset button, but it's best to ask a Geek Squad agent before taking any extreme measures.
For more handy hints and tips on making the most of your mobile, check out our YouTube™ Eye Openers channel!
