Our phones quickly collect digital junk that slows us down. These simple methods have helped me reduce clutter and create a more intentional phone setup.

This guide will show you how to declutter your iPhone and keep it that way. Let’s dive in!

1. Clear Out Your Apps

Most of us have way more apps than we actually use:

1. Swipe to your App Library and review apps by category
2. Ask yourself: “Have I used this in the last month? Does it provide real value?”
3. Delete apps you rarely use - you can always reinstall them when needed

Bonus tip: Delete utility apps you only use occasionally and reinstall when needed. This creates a more intentional relationship with your technology.

2. Take Control of Notifications

Notifications are designed to grab your attention. Take back control:

Notification Audit

1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Go through the entire app list and evaluate each one by one
3. Ask yourself: “Does this app deserve my immediate attention?”

Set up a simple three-tier system as you go through the list:

• Tier 1 (Immediate): Calls, messages from important people - keep all notifications
• Tier 2 (Scheduled): Social media, email, news - add to Notification Summary
• Tier 3 (None): Everything else - turn off all notifications

For badge icons (those red dots), keep them only for essential apps where you really need to see the count. For everything else, toggle off “Badges” in each app’s notification settings.

Set Up Notification Summary

Instead of constant interruptions:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Scheduled Summary
2. Enable it and pick times (I check notifications at 8 AM and 8 PM)
3. As you go through each app in your notification audit, add non-urgent ones to this summary

3. Organize Your Photos

Our photo libraries often contain thousands of images. Here’s how to bring order:

Quick Cleanup First

Start with these easy wins:

1. Go to Photos → Media Types → Screenshots and delete unnecessary ones
2. Review Photos → Media Types → Videos (these take up the most storage space) and delete any you don’t need.

Use Maps to Find Trip Photos

This feature is amazing for organizing travel photos:

1. Locate the Map (it might be hidden in pinned collections)
2. Tap on any pin to see all photos from that location
3. Click on “Select” > “Select All” to quickly add these to a new album

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People & Pets Recognition

Let your iPhone do the hard work:

1. Check out the “People & Pets” section in Albums
2. Tap on a face and add their name
3. To link it to their contact card, tap the “…” > Edit Name and Photos > Link Contact Info
4. You can even mark certain people as favorites to have them appear at the top

Use Folders for Better Organization

Create folders to group related albums:

1. Tap the “+” in Albums and select “New Folder”
2. Make containers like “Travel,” “Family,” or “Projects”
3. Move your albums into these folders to keep the Albums tab clean

Bonus tip: If you want to quickly create year-based albums, you can use these shortcuts: Photo Organization Shortcuts​

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4. Clean Up Your Contacts

Having hundreds of contacts you never talk to doesn’t help anyone:

Find and Merge Duplicates

1. Open the Contacts app
2. Under your name card, you should see a card with found duplicates if you have any
3. This is especially common if you have multiple accounts connected (like iCloud and Gmail)
4. Tap on the duplicate card to view and merge contacts

Remove Outdated Contacts

Go through your contacts and remove people you no longer need to contact. Be honest — do you really need to keep contacts from that internship five years ago or that person you met once at a conference?

Take some time to scroll through and delete those contacts that are just taking up space.

Create Useful Lists

For contacts you regularly message:

1. Open Contacts
2. Tap on Lists in the top left
3. Tap on Add List in the top right
4. Name your list (like “Family” or “Work Team”)
5. Add the relevant contacts
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5. Simplify Your Home Screen

Your home screen should be intentional, not cluttered:

Home Screen Declutter

Go through every app on your home screens:

1. Press and hold on empty space until apps jiggle
2. Remove apps you don’t use every day (they’ll still be in your App Library)
3. Be ruthless - if you use it less than daily, it probably doesn’t need home screen space

For Those Feeling Overwhelmed

If you’re not sure which apps to keep, try this method:

1. Remove ALL apps from your home screens
2. Use the swipe down search to find apps as you need them
3. When you find yourself repeatedly searching for the same app throughout the day, add only that app back to your home screen
4. This way, your home screen evolves based on your actual usage, not what you think you might use

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6. Maintain Your Digital Minimalism

The key to lasting digital minimalism is simple maintenance:

Weekly 5-Minute Cleanup

Set a recurring reminder for a quick weekly cleanup:

1. Delete screenshots you no longer need
2. Clear out Downloads folder
3. Process photos from the past week into albums if needed

One-In-One-Out App Rule

When you download a new app, delete one you don’t use. This keeps your phone from gradually getting cluttered again.

Quarterly Subscription Check

Every three months:

1. Go to Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions
2. Review each subscription and ask if it’s still worth the cost
3. Cancel any that don’t provide enough value

Getting Started Today

Don’t feel overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once. Instead:

1. Pick one section from this guide
2. Spend 15 minutes on it
3. Repeat tomorrow with another section

Within a week, you’ll have a dramatically simpler, more intentional iPhone setup that serves you better and demands less of your attention.