New year: Seven tech resolutions to put on your list for 2021

(Pocket-lint) – Another year has begun. You have probably made all sorts of resolutions – quit smoking, drink less, go out more (when possible), spend less, etc. 

While some of those are more manageable than others, we have rounded up seven tech resolutions that should be nice and easy to stick to. These resolutions don’t involve resisting the chocolate or going to the gym five times a week. Instead they should help you get organised and on top of everything right from the beginning of 2021.

Get rid of your unused gadgets

If you have gadgets lying around your office or house, then now is the time to start clearing them out.

Whether it is a stereo system you received a replacement for over Christmas, or an old handset, then get it on eBay, take it to a charity shop or see if a recycling site such as Music Magpie will offer you anything, because chances are your gadget collection is likely to keep growing this year.

Update all your apps

App updates don’t just appear for the fun of it.

An update will normally bring a fix for a bug, or make the app itself faster, sometimes it will even introduce new features so they are worth doing, and staying on top of – don’t ignore them.

Change your passwords

It’s better to be safe than sorry, and while some accounts require you to change your password regularly, others do not.

To make sure all your details, emails and accounts are safe, it is worth changing your passwords, even it is only adding a different number at the end of your original at the beginning of every year.

Back up computer to an external hard drive

Backing up your laptop or desktop is something you don’t always think to do until you lose everything. Therefore if you have a bit of spare cash, it’s worth buying an external hard drive – you can read our feature on the best ones here.

Try not to just back it up one day at the beginning of the year and then leave it for the next 12 months, but that is at least better than not at all.

Sign up to Dropbox or Google Drive

Dropbox and Google Drive are great ways to keep all your files with you so you can access them from whichever device you are working on, whether that be your phone, tablet, laptop or desktop.

They are free to join and you get a little bit of free storage before you have to pay for more, plus you can access your account through the Dropbox or Google websites on your browser or the apps themselves as long as you have an internet connection.

Streamline your social media networks

If you have a number of social media accounts, but only really use one or two, it might be worth deleting the ones you don’t bother with anymore and pay more attention to the ones you do.

You could also go through your friends on Facebook, or the people you follow on Twitter and decide if there are any you can get rid of so you only get updates from the people you really want to in 2021.

Manage your phone contacts

The contacts in your phone are another thing that need a tidy up every now and then. A year is a long time, and people change jobs and numbers so it’s worth going through, checking for duplicates, and making sure you have everyone you need saved.

You might as well get rid of the people you haven’t spoken to in the last year too, and make sure you back up your phone so you have the contacts saved on your computer, as well as your photos in case you lose your phone.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.