There are tons of ways to refresh and tweak your phone to make it feel new again.
First off, detox the exterior of your phone, since you’re likely putting it close to your face every day.
Next, dive into your phone’s software. An investment of just a few minutes
can turn your Android phone into something that looks and feels new.
Read on to find five simple tips for decluttering, reorganizing and
customizing your Android phone.
1.Delete all of your forgotten apps
Take a few minutes to go through your home screen or app drawer and delete any and
all apps you no longer use. Not only do those apps take up precious storage, but
they potentially have access the personal information or permissions
you approved when the app was first launched.
You can also uninstall apps using the Play Store.
2.Eliminate old files to free up storage
After removing any old apps, free up more storage by going through the files saved on your Android phone. It’s far too easy to forget about all of the files you’ve randomly downloaded — like the takeout menu of the new place down the road or a GIF a friend sent. And those files add up. The quickest and easiest way to manage your phone’s storage is to use the Files app that comes preinstalled.
I recommend opening the app drawer on your phone and reaching for “files.” Odds are that will reveal whatever your phone-maker calls the app.
Start with checking the Downloads folder, where you can either delete the files you no longer want or move them somewhere like Google Drive.
3.Tweak home screen settings for a new look
One of the best parts of Android is how much you can customize the entire look of your phone. From installing app icon packs to completely replacing the launcher your phone uses, there are plenty of options to personalize your phone.
While you can definitely jump into tweaking launchers and installing app icons, start by digging into the home screen settings your phone already provides. I do this once in a while and it’s surprising how subtle tweaks to aspects like app layout can make it feel like an entirely new phone.
Long-press on a blank area of your home screen, then select Home settings (or some variation of that). That will open the options for your home screen, where you can customize various settings.
Device settings are easily ignored, but they’re important to get your device just right.
4.Optimize your device settings
Speaking of settings now is a good time to go through and change any settings that have been annoying you.
You’ll want to change and customize on any Android phone to get the most out of it.
For example, turning on dark mode not only makes the app look better, but it saves battery life. And yes, I even show you how to stop app icons from automatically appearing on your home screen.
5.Customize your privacy options
Before you take a break, do yourself and your Android phone one last favor — double-check your privacy settings.
Open the Settings app then tap Privacy > Permissions Manager. Go through each category to see which apps currently have access to which treasure trove of your personal data. Find an app you don’t want to have access to your location? Turn it off. The same goes for contacts, calendar or camera.
It doesn’t take long to go through each section, and even if it did, it’s well worth the effort.
