Fight Icon Blight
When we have a file or application that
we need constant access to, it often ends up being pinned to our PC's Desktop
or (our mobile device's Home screen) because it's the most visible and easily
accessible location. But as the icons accumulate, the resulting clutter can
turn what used to be a clear pattern of organization into a puzzling pile of
shortcuts, folders, applications, and downloads. Here, we'll cover how to clean
up and reorganize your Windows Desktop and mobile device Home screens to improve
your productivity.
Windows
7
System
Maintenance in Windows 7 can help you remove unused icon from your desktop
Back in the days of Windows XP,
Microsoft included a tool called the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. There's no such
tool in Windows 7, but there is a System Maintenance feature that you can
access by clicking the Start menu, typing System Maintenance into the search
field, and selecting Perform Recommended Tasks Automatically. At the System
Maintenance window, click the Advanced button and remove the check mark from
the Apply Repairs Automatically section, because you may want to keep some of
the files, shortcuts, and other links that System Maintenance may change. Click
the Next button and Windows 7 will look for items like broken shortcuts, unused
desktop items, and error reports that are taking up disk space.
iOS
You
can reduce the number of icons on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch by putting
similar apps into folders.
Apple provides the iPhone, iPad, and
iPod touch with up to 11 screens to organize your applications. You can move an
icon by holding it down until it begins to jiggle. Then, you'll have the option
to drag the icon to the right edge of the screen until a new screen appears,
and you can drag the icon to a location that works best for you. It's also
possible to organize the icons on your home screen into a folder. To create a
folder, touch and hold an icon until the Home screen jiggles. Then, drag the
icon onto another icon that you want to include in the folder. iOS will
automatically create a folder and name it. Tap the name field to provide the
folder name you prefer. To add another icon, hold it down until the icon
jiggles and drag it into the folder. Press the Home button to save your
changes.
Android
Android offers a variety of
premade and custom folders you can create.
Similar to iOS, most Android devices
provide you with several screens where you can arrange and categorize your app
icons. Within Android, you can delete an icon from a screen simply by holding
it down until the application launcher becomes a trash can (the app will remain
in the list of icons that appear when you click the application launch¬ er).
Then, you can drag the app icon into the trash can. You can move an app by
performing a long press and dragging the app to the side of the screen and
holding it until you get to the screen where you want to place it.
It's also possible to add folders to
an Android home screen. Long press an empty space on the home screen and select
Folder. In the Select Folder window, you'll be able to choose from a variety of
options, including New Folder, Contacts With Phone Numbers, Received List From
Bluetooth, and Recent Documents. As you can see, many options offer pre¬ set
contents, while New Folder is the option you'll want to select for custom files
and shortcuts. To rename the folder, long press the title bar.
