Like many busy parents, my smartphone has become my lifeline, whether it’s the calendar that helps keep me (and my four teens) on track to the emails, social media, and various apps that keep me connected, both personally and professionally. That’s why it’s so important to have your phone streamlined and organized. Who’s got time to waste scrolling endlessly for your insurance card in your photo roll?
But also, who has the time to sit and take hours organizing their phone? Not me.
That’s why I’m thrilled to be sharing these 5 simple things you can do right now to organize your smartphone on behalf of our sponsor Mylio Photos, who does all your photo organizing for you, in ways you might not have even imagined. It’s really more like a personal manager of your very best memories, and the best part: it’s so easy to download and use, right now, no matter how many gadgets you have photos (or videos, or documents) on, no matter the platform.
So take a few minutes today (or sometime this week), and get your smartphone organized. You’ll be surprised at how a few simple things can make a huge difference, and how quickly you can get them done.
Don’t miss our special offer for Mylio Photos, below
Customize your home screen
I admit that I rolled my eyes a bit when the big iPhone home screen update happened back a few iOS iterations ago. But, after seeing how my teens have used the features to reorganize their home screen, I’m jealous. Whether or not you go the fancy route, taking a few minutes to decide what’s on your home screen (and strategically, what’s not, if you’re trying to manage your own screen time), can save you a whole lot of time and energy. And it’s super easy to do, promise.
Cull your apps
If you’re like me, you’ve collected various apps on your phone over the last year that you probably don’t use. Now is the perfect time to get rid of them. What’s nice is that you can actually just take them off your home screen without completely deleting them (note to parents with kids in sports who use those apps seasonally, for example). But if you haven’t used it for six months or so, give yourself some memory back and delete it.
Not sure if you want to ruthlessly delete? Consider using folders to help you organize. Admittedly, my folder names are terrible (I let my kids help me … big mistake there), but if you have apps that can easily be grouped (social media, sports, games, media), do this and give your eyes a break.
Organize your photos
Before the new year, I had over 6000 photos in my photo roll (not counting any of my other gadgets or Google Photos and iPhoto, by the way), and spent way too much time trying to find the things I need. Baby photo for my daughter’s yearbook? That took me an hour (not kidding). My kids’ insurance card? Thankfully I “favorited” that, but that album itself has way too many photos.
Enter Mylio Photos, which has been super life-changing for me since I downloaded it and started using it regularly. Granted, it took me an hour or so to get all my photos in one place, but they make organizing them so easy, with facial recognition and location tagging (so cool for family vacations), and endless albums that you can create, not just for photos, but for videos, scans, even documents (think your kids’ straight-A report card or that weird clay pot that was falling apart but want to memorialize).
Now, my kids have albums based on each year of their lives, which makes me feel way better about myself (hey, just being honest). But also, all the important documents, videos, you name it, all have a place and better, are easy for me to find. You can try Mylio Photos too, and be sure to subscribe through this link to save 20%. And they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee because they truly believe in the awesomeness of their product (and so do I).
Update your contacts (and delete some messages!)
I am terrible about turning people into contacts. Is that just me? I have various messages from my kids’ friends, as well as work acquaintances (and other folks) with whom I text on a semi-regular basis and yet, have not made them a contact. Now is the time to do this! Go through your texts, delete the bazillion Door Dash texts, and make sure you know who is texting you. Same goes for voicemails!
Another great trick: Use your contacts for important numbers, like insurance numbers or your airline miles memberships. No more searching for those numbers in your emails.
Inbox zero (and a few other email-y things)
If you use email on your phone as much (if not more) than you do on your computer, you’re going to want to get things tidied up. Start with Liz’s awesome inbox zero trick that will get your new year off with a clean slate. But then, take a few minutes (or hey, while you’re binge-watching your fave show) and unsubscribe from emails you no longer need. Also, if there are emails going to your social or promotion tabs (Gmail users) that you don’t want to miss, it’s worth ensuring that they end up in your primary inbox.
And pro tip: if you’re still sending emails from your phone with the tag that says “sent from my iPhone,” stop. Pretty much everyone is sending emails from their phones these days so you don’t need to let everyone know. Just do a quick grammar check before you hit send and you’re good to go.
You’ll be surprised at how these small changes can go a long way in saving you time! Thanks to our sponsor Mylio Photos, who can help you get your photos, videos, and documents in order. Save 20% through this link on a subscription.
