Don’t want to drop $1K on a new phone? Do this instead

November 15, 2023

By Kim Komando

It was a little anticlimactic when I went from the iPhone 14 Pro Max to the 15 Pro Max. Side-by-side, they look an awful lot like the same phone. The one thing that stood out was how shiny and clean the 15 looked.

You don’t have to shell out a lot of money — jump into the settings and use a little elbow grease to make your current phone sparkle.

Wipe it out

No kidding, one IT genius at Komando HQ wipes his phone once a year. It seems like a pain (and it is a bit), but it can keep yours running fast and smooth. Think about it — there’s so much less junk piled up if you clear it all out regularly.

Be sure to back your phone up first, then a factory reset makes it easy to on-board all your important info.

On iPhone:

• Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
• Select Erase All Content and Settings.

On Samsung:

• Open Settings > General management.
• Swipe to and tap Reset, then Factory data reset > Reset.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm, then tap Delete all.

On Google Pixel:

• Open Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).
• To erase all data from your phone’s internal storage, tap Erase all data.

Your texts are an inbox, too

I bet you make time to sort your email inbox when things get out of control. Do you ever do the same for your text messages? Over time, old conversations, marketing texts, spam and other junk pile up. It’s easy to clear.

Just swipe on a chat to bring up the option to delete. You can also hold down on the chat to bring up options. On iPhone, long-press a texting thread and a menu will appear. Select Delete > Delete. On Android, hold down on a thread, then hit the trash can icon.

Update your OS

Never-updaters are the folks who say “No thanks” to any system upgrade. Reasons vary, but at the end of the day, it’s a bad idea. Even if you don’t want the new features, updates patch security issues and keep you safe.

Go into your Settings, then look for system updates. While you’re there, you might want to set up your phone to auto-update.

Get into the nooks and crannies

First, remove your phone’s case and accessories. They trap so much dirt and muck.

A microfiber cloth works for wiping away smudges and grease, but I prefer screen-cleaning wipes designed for smartphones. They’re scratch-free and made with anti-static tissue that cleans without leaving behind streaks or lint.

Speaking of, skip paper towels. They’re too rough for delicate jobs like this.

Your phone’s ports collect dust, grime and dirt. Cotton swabs leave behind fuzz and could make things worse than when you started. Toothpicks are OK if you are very gentle, but breaking off the sharp end inside a port is easy and damaging. Cheap tools made for the job work better.

Then give that case a detailed cleaning. Grab an old toothbrush and warm, soapy water for plastic, rubber and silicone cases. Very lightly dampen a microfiber cloth with water and mild soap for leather cases. Lightly rub the case in circular motions.

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