A new year doesn’t just mean new goals. It’s also a great time to clean up your digital life. Our phones, laptops, apps, and online accounts collect more personal information than we realize. With a few small habits, you can protect your privacy and make it harder for companies and strangers to access your data.

So where do you start?

Check What Apps Know About You
Apps often ask for information they don’t really need, like your location, camera, or contacts. Take a few minutes to look through your phone’s settings and applications. If an old app hasn’t been used in months, delete it. Disable settings that share too much of your information.

Quick Win: If an app doesn’t need your location to work, turn it off.

Clean Up Old Accounts
Most of us have old accounts from past jobs, semesters, or hobbies. Those accounts may still hold personal information. Deleting unused accounts reduces the chances of that data being exposed later.

Quick Win: Search your email for “welcome,” “verify your account,” or “password reset” to find accounts you forgot about.

Strengthen Your Passwords (Without Memorizing Them)
Strong passwords don’t have to be complicated. Password managers make unique passwords for you and remember them so you don’t have to. This prevents attackers from breaking into multiple accounts if one password leaks.

Quick Win: Don’t reuse the same password for email, banking, and shopping sites.

Turn On Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA adds a quick step (like a text message code or app approval) before logging in. It’s one of the easiest and strongest ways to protect your accounts.

Quick Win: Turn on MFA for email, banking, and social media first.