{"id":213276,"date":"2024-03-14T09:12:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T09:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/14\/how-to-declutter-your-ios-devices\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:20:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:20:39","slug":"how-to-declutter-your-ios-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/14\/how-to-declutter-your-ios-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"How to declutter your iOS devices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>If you\u2019ve owned your <a data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/best-iphone-160012979.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:iPhone;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">iPhone<\/a> or <a data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/best-ipads-how-to-pick-the-best-apple-tablet-for-you-150054066.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:iPad;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">iPad<\/a> for a long time, there\u2019s a good chance it has files, photos, apps and other digital clutter on it that\u2019s taking up more space than necessary. Maybe you\u2019ve even gotten to the point where you\u2019re getting warnings about the scant bit of free space you have left on your device. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to declutter your iPhone or iPad, free up some space and otherwise make your gear feel a bit more like new again. This guide will take you through how to reclaim your notifications and your device\u2019s storage.<\/p>\n<h2>Delete your unused apps<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-loader noheight\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"A screenshot showing how to access the iPhone Storage utility.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/EW0gqYblhnCstqGw3oB35Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/f74471e0-c1b6-11ed-bcee-2e409183eab4\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A screenshot showing how to access the iPhone Storage utility.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/EW0gqYblhnCstqGw3oB35Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/f74471e0-c1b6-11ed-bcee-2e409183eab4\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span class=\"caption-credit\"> Igor Bonifacic \/ Engadget<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>You don\u2019t need me to tell you to delete apps you don\u2019t use to free up space on your iPhone, but you might not know that iOS has a dedicated tool to help you do this. You can access it by opening the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, then tapping \u201cGeneral,\u201d followed by \u201ciPhone Storage\u201d or \u201ciPad Storage.\u201d It may take a few moments for the interface to populate, but once it does, you\u2019ll see a handy visual representation of how much of your device\u2019s storage you\u2019ve given over to apps, photos and other types of files. You will also see a list of every app installed on your device, as well as how much space it takes up and when you last used it \u2013 all helpful information you can use to decide what to delete.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the app, iOS will present you with at least two options when you tap on it. You can delete the app and all its related data or \u201coffload\u201d it. In the latter case, iOS will delete the app from your iPhone or iPad but leave your data untouched. As such, when you reinstall the app, you can pick up right where you left off. It will also remain in your App Library for easy access. From the iPhone Storage menu, you can also set your device to automatically offload unused apps when you\u2019re running low on storage, which is useful for all, but especially those with older, low-storage devices.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-loader noheight\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Screenshots of the Apple Music and Messages sections within the iPhone Storage utility. \" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/CC4CwHTjuX13sJ6Qfv9dNg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/d66bb6c0-c1b8-11ed-afdc-27e51f9d5a9c\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Screenshots of the Apple Music and Messages sections within the iPhone Storage utility. \" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/CC4CwHTjuX13sJ6Qfv9dNg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/d66bb6c0-c1b8-11ed-afdc-27e51f9d5a9c\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span class=\"caption-credit\"> Igor Bonifacic \/ Engadget<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>If you use Apple Music and Messages frequently, tap on them since they offer a few additional options for managing their footprint. The interface for Apple Music includes a list of every download on your iPhone or iPad sorted by artist and album, offering a much better way of culling your library than from within the app itself.<\/p>\n<p>Messages, meanwhile, has a few handy options for serial texters. At the bottom of the interface, you will see a breakdown of all the different attachments you may have received in messaging with your friends and family. Seeing how much storage those old photos, videos and GIFs take up may be eye opening; in fact, iOS will prompt you to review large attachments. That\u2019s a good place to start since the interface does a good job of highlighting the biggest space hogs right at the top. You can also set iOS to automatically delete messages and attachments that are more than a year old. Unless space is at an absolute premium on your device, I would recommend against turning on this option, if only because it might delete a photo or video that has sentimental value to you.<\/p>\n<h2>Trim your contacts list<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve had an iPhone for a while, there\u2019s a good chance your contacts list could use an edit. Unless you plan to one day<a data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/gimletmedia.com\/shows\/reply-all\/5whnab8\/186-the-contact-list\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:call everyone on that list;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"> call everyone on that list<\/a>, why not delete contacts you don\u2019t speak to anymore? Your iPhone will give you a head start by identifying suspected duplicate contacts. Outside of that, there\u2019s not much to this process other than going through each contact and ensuring the information you have is up to date.<\/p>\n<h2>Review your notification settings<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-loader noheight\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Screenshots showing how to access the Scheduled Summary feature.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/xXXkpGMXK5S_HsYkzKnQ8w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/28bd1650-c1b7-11ed-acf2-1516bbd4b1a8\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Screenshots showing how to access the Scheduled Summary feature.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/xXXkpGMXK5S_HsYkzKnQ8w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/28bd1650-c1b7-11ed-acf2-1516bbd4b1a8\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span class=\"caption-credit\"> Igor Bonifacic \/ Engadget<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Something everyone should do every so often is review their notification settings since alerts can be a drain on your device\u2019s battery (not to mention frequently take your attention away from more important things, too). To get started, open your device\u2019s Settings app and tap on \u201cNotifications.\u201d If you haven\u2019t already, I would recommend taking advantage of <a data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/apple-ios-15-review-150030599.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:iOS 15\u2019s;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">iOS 15\u2019s<\/a> scheduled summary feature. Let\u2019s be honest, most notifications don\u2019t require your immediate attention, and you\u2019re better off addressing them all at once instead piecemeal. The schedule feature will help you do that by allowing you to set a few times per day when your device displays some notifications all at once.<\/p>\n<p>For most people, that should make their notifications more manageable, but if you want to take things a step further, you can adjust individual settings for each app. For some of the worst offenders (Instagram and Twitter come to mind), it\u2019s worthwhile to jump into their in-app settings to limit or disable the notifications they send you.<\/p>\n<h2>Focus Modes<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-loader noheight\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Screenshots showing how to access iOS's Focus Mode functionality.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/jOClz6dHQ8ILEkPrvBFboA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/674e15e0-c1b7-11ed-9d87-c51a3e5bb053\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Screenshots showing how to access iOS's Focus Mode functionality.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/jOClz6dHQ8ILEkPrvBFboA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-03\/674e15e0-c1b7-11ed-9d87-c51a3e5bb053\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span class=\"caption-credit\"> Igor Bonifacic \/ Engadget<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Another tool you can use to get a handle on your notification is Apple\u2019s <a data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/ios-15-wwdc-2021-facetime-messages-notification-summary-live-text-172526551.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Focus feature;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Focus feature<\/a>, which allows you to configure custom do not disturb settings for different activities. By default, your device will come with a few preconfigured ones, and it\u2019s worth reviewing the settings for each to optimize them for your needs.<\/p>\n<p>To create a new custom Focus Mode, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap \u201cFocus,\u201d which is located in the same subcategory as notifications. You can also create a new Focus mode directly from your device\u2019s Control Center by long pressing on the \u201cDo Not Disturb\u201d icon and tapping \u201cNew Focus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once you create a new Focus, customizing it is straightforward. You can specify contacts you want iOS to either silence or allow notifications from. You can do the same for apps as well. After you customize those lists to your liking, tap the \u201cOptions\u201d prompt below your contacts and apps lists to see a few additional settings. Specifically, there\u2019s an option to allow silenced notifications to display on your lock screen that you might find helpful.<\/p>\n<p>The last thing I want to draw your attention to are the options around customizing your Home Screen for different Focus modes. By limiting the apps I can easily access, I find I\u2019m less likely to get distracted. For instance, I\u2019ve set my Reading Focus to limit my Home Screen to apps like <a data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/libby-app-irl-123053789.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Libby;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Libby<\/a>, Pocket and Apple Music.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/how-to-organize-apps-iphone-ios-declutter-150038492.html?src=rss\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] If you\u2019ve owned your iPhone or iPad for a long time, there\u2019s a good chance it has files, photos, apps and other digital clutter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":213277,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[159],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213276"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213276"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":337826,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213276\/revisions\/337826"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}