2017 is nearly here and, if you're like me, you've accumulated some baggage throughout 2016. No, not emotional baggage, but digital baggage in the form of unused, abandoned, or otherwise forgotten apps and games.
As storage capacities have increased, the need to purge apps from your iPhone has become less crucial (you have bigger fish to fry anyway as your Photos library balloons). You might "organize" things on occassion, grouping your apps together and dropping them into folders. You might even revisit it again, moving apps around to the second or third screen in a sub-folder on your Home screen so that the most used apps are on top.
But how often do you really swipe past the first screen in an iOS folder? Chances are, once an app falls out of usage enough to be relegated to a sub-screen in a sub-folder, it's fulfilled its purpose and you've either gotten all you're going to get out of it or never look at it again. But if it's only taking up a tiny amount of space, why take the time and bother of deleting it? Especially if you're just going to ignore it?
Here's the crucial lesson - while it may be cathartic or "cleansing" to get rid of unused items, that's only a byproduct of what should be an annual security ritual. Old apps, especially those forgotten by their developers, are threats. Maybe someone figures out an iOS exploit using an old app. Maybe a company's service is corrupted or hijacked. If you've given an app access to things like location data or your microphone or your Photos or any of the other myriad of things apps ask for access to, you could be sharing a lot more than you realize.
So first things first, open up all those sub-folders on your Home screen and swipe to the last sub-screen. Ask yourself when the last time was that you accessed any of the apps there, or if you need them for any crucial function on your phone (like I have Microsoft's Word Flow keyboard app stashed away in a Utilities folder because I never need the app, but use the keyboard daily). If it's been a month or more since you touched the app, it's time to let it go.
Games are harder, because you inevitably remember the good times that you had playing it and want to leave it there "just in case" you need that hit of joy again. Don't fall for the trap. If you haven't played it in a while, it's because you got bored with it or your friends stopped playing or it didn't do what it needed to do to keep your attention. Torch it. If you get a deep desire to revisit it down the road, you can always restore it from the App Store.
Once your folders are pared down sufficiently, take a closer look at what's lurking on your second (or third or fourth) Home screen. Are they all apps that you use or are they one-time downloads that you grabbed because you were cashing in on a deal or thought they did something they didn't? Are they "aspirational" journaling or time management apps that you were going to use to get yourself organized or motivated? Delete 'em all - there will be a whole new wave of similar apps that will creep onto your phone as the New Year dawns.
Hold down your finger on the icon till things start to shake, then be merciless and press the X icon to delete. Once the purge is complete, you'll be able to find things a little quicker and rest easier knowing that your iPhone is a bit more secure.
Have a Happy (and safe) New Year!
