{"id":184,"date":"2026-05-08T10:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=184"},"modified":"2026-05-08T10:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:34:40","slug":"one-tech-tip-why-digital-devices-and-online-accounts-need-spring-cleaning-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=184","title":{"rendered":"One Tech Tip: Why digital devices and online accounts need spring cleaning"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

If the spring season has brought an urge to scrub your living space from top to bottom, why not clear out the digital detritus cluttering your electronic devices and online accounts at the same time?<\/p>\n

Carrying out the digital equivalent of spring cleaning a home isn\u2019t just an opportunity to tidy up our online lives. Eliminating dust bunnies like dormant accounts and forgotten files can help protect personal data, according to cybersecurity experts.<\/p>\n

\u201cClutter is fuel for scammers. Old accounts, exposed data and forgotten apps give them more ways in,\u201d Michael Sherwood, a product vice president at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, said. \u201cCleaning up your digital life is one of the simplest ways to shrink your attack surface in a threat landscape that\u2019s getting smarter, faster, and more automated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is a digital spring cleaning checklist:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Free up storage space<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does it seem like your phone or laptop is always running out of storage space? All those photos, videos and other big files that we share or download add up over time.<\/p>\n

Running out of internal storage can slow down devices or prevent them from downloading essential operating system updates. Personal gadgets usually come with built-in tools that instruct users on how to free up space.<\/p>\n

On iPhones, go to your settings menu, then General, and then iPhone Storage, where you\u2019ll see how much storage is left and which apps and files are eating up the most space. On Android devices, the Storage tab in settings provides a similar breakdown, with options to free up space manually or automatically.<\/p>\n

Windows and Mac computers have similar dashboards and controls in their settings menus to identify the biggest hoggers of storage space.<\/p>\n

Archive important files by copying them to an external drive, cloud storage or both, and then delete them from the device.<\/p>\n

Declutter your inbox<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your inbox is probably a mess: notifications and reminders, receipts, newsletters, tickets, bank and credit card statements and security warnings, many of them left unread. You might have a few personal missives you want to keep along with spam to purge.<\/p>\n

Culling the clutter can help boost productivity and focus, and there are tricks to make the process less tedious and time-consuming.<\/p>\n

Sort or filter your inbox by size to float the biggest messages \u2014 usually those with oversized file attachments \u2014 to the top for deletion. Do the same by sender or date so you can delete old and unneeded emails, or big batches from prolific senders.<\/p>\n

Now might also be a good time to unsubscribe from any mailing lists or newsletters you don\u2019t read anymore.<\/p>\n

App check<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another way to free up space is to go through the apps on your phone and delete the ones you no longer use.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t stop there. If any of those apps required you to sign up for an account, don\u2019t forget to log in and delete the account as well. Otherwise, any details you provided will remain on file and vulnerable to hackers.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery dormant account is an open door. Scammers actively target abandoned logins because no one\u2019s watching,\u201d Sherwood said.<\/p>\n

Update apps and software<\/p>\n

Make sure the apps you\u2019re keeping are the latest version by checking for app store updates. Same goes for the operating systems on your phone and computer. Check for the latest software updates and patches for the best performance and security.<\/p>\n

Social media review<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cybersecurity experts advise taking the time to audit your digital footprint to see how exposed you are on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and other social media platforms.<\/p>\n

The idea is to \u201creview what personal info is out there and limit what apps and services can access,\u201d Sherwood said.<\/p>\n

You should check the privacy settings for each account and even consider deleting older posts.<\/p>\n

\u201cLimiting what personal information is publicly available helps to reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks such as phishing and identity theft,\u201d said Chad Thunberg, chief information security officer at cybersecurity company Yubico.<\/p>\n

Third parties<\/strong><\/p>\n

Has a website ever suggested logging in with your Facebook or Apple account? Did your smart thermostat or doorbell camera request access to your Google account?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth checking which third-party apps and services have access to your accounts. Removing unneeded ones is another way to tighten up your online privacy.<\/p>\n

When I checked my Google account\u2019s \u201cThird-party apps & services\u201d tab, I found only three and still need them.<\/p>\n

My Facebook settings revealed 18 connected apps and services, though all but one were expired. I removed the remaining active connection, for a photobook service I don\u2019t remember ever using but still had access to my name and profile photo.<\/p>\n

Get a better key<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tighten up security with review of your password practices.<\/p>\n

Make sure you\u2019ve got multi-factor authentication turned on for your accounts, if you haven\u2019t done it already.<\/p>\n

Better yet, get a passkey. It\u2019s a \u201cmodern login standard\u201d that offers much better security than a traditional password, Thunberg said. Passkeys are two parts of a code that only make sense when combined, kind of like a digital key and padlock. A growing number of online services and platforms now support passkeys, including Google, Amazon, Facebook and eBay.<\/p>\n

Passkeys need to be authenticated with your fingerprint, face scan or PIN, which means \u201cthey cannot be faked, intercepted or replicated by AI-based attacks,\u201d Thunberg said.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need a password manager to store your passkeys if you\u2019re not already using one. Apple, Google and Samsung include their own password manager apps on phones, but there are third-party options from 1Password, BitWarden, Nordpass and many others.<\/p>\n

Even if you haven\u2019t started using passkeys, you should still use a password manager to keep track of all your login credentials. Best practice is to use a different password for each account so that if hackers break into one service and steal your password, it won\u2019t work anywhere else. But it\u2019s impossible to memorize them all.<\/p>\n

\u201cA password manager not only generates strong, unique passwords for each account, but also ensures users never have to remember them all,\u201d Thunberg said.<\/p>\n

Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.<\/p>\n

Read more Colorado lawmakers push for ride-hailing safety standards, again<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Wildfire-prone Western states are using AI for early detection, including in Aurora<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Legislature OKs two bills aimed at reducing state prison population, expenses<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the spring season has brought an urge to scrub your living space from top to bottom, why not clear out the digital detritus cluttering your electronic devices and online accounts at the same time? Carrying out the digital equivalent of spring cleaning a home isn\u2019t just an opportunity to tidy up our online lives. 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