The longer and more intensively you use apps and social networks, the more unnecessary (data) waste accumulates - it's high time for some spring cleaning!

Our cooperation partner Safer Internet gives tips on how to thoroughly clean up your digital life!

We all love apps and social networks and love trying new things! However, a lot of applications quickly accumulate on your smartphone or tablet that you no longer actually need . This not only uses up a lot of storage space on the device, but also creates unnecessary (data) waste .

Regular clearing out is also necessary for active accounts : the more intensively social networks and apps are used, the more data and information accumulates. In addition, outdated profiles or unflattering photos do not make a good impression on the Internet.

Our tip: At the beginning of spring, thoroughly comb through and clear out not only your own four walls, but also apps and profiles on social networks!

10 tips for digital spring cleaning

Clean out apps.

In order to use applications, you have to grant them certain access permissions - for example to the camera or cell phone gallery. However, some apps require access permissions that go far beyond what is necessary. If a flashlight app requests access to the location, alarm bells should ring. We recommend deleting all apps that you no longer use or that appear dubious! Many applications are now also linked to social networks - for example when you log in to other services with your Facebook or Google account. These app shortcuts need to be removed separately - here you can check which apps have access to your Facebook , Google or Twitter account.

Sort out “friends”.

Who are you friends with on Facebook? Who do you follow on Twitter? Which accounts do you subscribe to on Instagram? It's worth taking a critical look at the contacts you've accumulated every now and then and "unfollowing" one or the other again. You can read how this works on individual social networks in our privacy guides .

Question groups.

Groups on social networks also accumulate a lot of unnecessary things over time. Especially in messengers like WhatsApp, an unmanageable number of groups causes stress and chaos. On Facebook, however, membership in more or less funny “fun groups” can cast a negative light on oneself. Ask yourself: Which group do I really use and which is just a relic from times gone by?

Clean up accounts.

Where do I have an account? Which social networks am I registered on? Get an overview and delete all accounts and accesses that you no longer use. justdelete.me service provides information about the deletion options on all common online platforms.

Sift through old content.

You are not proud of everything that you have posted, liked, tagged, shared, commented on or otherwise published on the internet at some point in the here and now. It is therefore better to delete older posts, photos and interactions that now seem embarrassing or inappropriate.

Check privacy settings.

Regularly check the privacy settings of social networks - the options change frequently. Often changes are not communicated to users at all or are only communicated in a hidden manner. Saferinternet.at privacy guidelines offer assistance .

Keep an eye on your online image.

What can people find about you on the internet? Enter your own name into a search engine (“First name Last name” – put quotation marks!) and look at the results. Outdated or inappropriate content or photos appear? Request that the site operator delete it or, if possible, remove the content yourself. Set up a Google alert to be automatically informed about new online content with your name.

Managing the “digital estate”.

Digital legacy refers to data that continues to exist on the Internet regardless of the death of a user. This represents a major challenge for those left behind - reason enough to take active precautions! As a first step, create a directory of all accounts and profiles (preferably in paper form!). More and more online services are also offering standardized solutions in the event of death – the ISPA “Digital Estate” brochure .

Ensure safety.

Do you use the same password for all accounts or is it “123456”? It's high time for a change! Simple passwords can be easily cracked and repeating passwords also poses a security risk. Therefore, use a password that is as strong and use two-step authentication . Password managers also a useful solution for managing passwords securely. Remember: Passwords are like toothbrushes - you should not share them and change them regularly 😉

Create backups.

Once there is some sort of order in digital life again, it's time to back up your data! Prevent data loss by backing up your data regularly - ideally on an external hard drive that is not permanently connected to the computer. You should also always copy important data on your smartphone or tablet to your PC's hard drive. Alternatively, you can also use special backup apps or cloud storage services (pay attention to data protection!).


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1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )