Why you should be cleaning your devices

When a device gets slower, we often think they need to buy a new one. Over time, computers and devices get bogged down with files and apps that are no longer needed. This slows them down and sometimes makes them unstable to use.

But don’t trade in your tech just yet. Sometimes all you need is to spring clean your device and check their security to make them run smoother, free up space and remove any nasty malware.

Spring cleaning your phone doesn’t mean grabbing a pair of marigolds or a feather duster though. It can be as simple as checking for updates, clearing cache, deleting old photos or removing any old apps you don’t use.

On top of that, extending a device’s lifecycle is good for your pocket and the planet too. Read on to discover the benefits of cleaning your devices, including some useful tricks to keep your electronics in tip top shape!

Is your device running low on space? No matter how much storage space a device has, over time it starts to run out. Apps, app data, downloads, screenshots, saved memes and other content can take up valuable room, so cleaning up old junk will free up space for fun and new stuff. Otherwise, you might find that you can’t take photos or install apps.

If your computer or phone feels slower than before, there are likely too many processes affecting its performance. A virus running in the background can also slow everything down. If you give your device a spring clean, apps will start and run faster and smoother and remove any threats to your tech.

Wouldn’t it be nice if your battery lasted longer? Well, cleaning your device can significantly extend your battery life. By removing unnecessary apps, potential malware and processes that consume your device’s battery, you don’t need to recharge your devices as often.

Many apps run in the background even when you don’t actively use them. They might also have access to user data including your location, contacts, browsing history and photos. Deleting apps you don’t need will remove unwanted data collection and free up some space too.

When you take care of your device and keep it clean, it lasts longer and means you don’t have to break the bank replacing it. Having to buy a new phone every three years instead of every two years is much more manageable, especially if there are lots of devices in your household!

Here are some quick and easy ways to get a faster device with more space for the content you love.

• Photos and videos usually take up the most space. Go through them in your gallery and individually delete the ones you don’t need anymore. To delete more than one image at a time, see our guide below.

Apple devices

1. Open Photos.

2. From the Library tab, tap All Photos, then tap Select.

3. Tap multiple photos or slide your finger across multiple photos to select more than one.

4. Tap the bin button, then confirm to delete the items.

Android devices

1. Launch the Gallery app.

2. Tap the Menu button.

3. Choose Camera Roll to access all your pictures on Android.

4. Tap the three-dots button > Choose Select > Check the photos you want to remove from Android.

5. Tap the bin icon and click OK to confirm.

•  A faster way to free space is to move all your pictures and videos to another hard drive or cloud service. You can then remove them from your device altogether. But be careful as this way you might also move unnecessary images like screenshots.

• Uninstall apps you don’t use – you can always reinstall them later.

• Open your downloads folder and check what’s in there. Chances are you will find a lot of stuff you can delete.

• Clear your cached data from apps and browsers. This data is saved to enable quicker processing. However, over time it all adds up and bogs your system down. See below to clear cached data from your phone.

Apple devices

1. Open the Settings app and scroll down to Safari.

2. Scroll to the Clear History and Website Data option.

3. Tap Clear History and Data in the pop-up box to confirm.

Android devices

1. Launch the Chrome app and tap More.

2. Tap History then clear browsing data. To delete everything, select All time.

3. Next to "Cookies and site data" and "Cached images and files," check the boxes.

4. Tap Clear data.

As viruses and malware can slow down your device, removing them can make everything run smoother. That’s why running a security check up is crucial when spring cleaning your device. But cleaning your device from potential malware is only reacting to existing threats. So, protect your newly cleaned devices against any future threats with antivirus software.

With a protected device you don’t need to worry about security issues. Installing security software automatically detects if there is malware on your device, making spring cleaning your device easier while protecting yourself online. Now, that’s a win-win!