An end-of-year review is not a bigger weekly cleanup. Its job is different: close the year’s finished work, check that archives and backups actually open, and catch the yearly renewals and old accounts you only think about once.
Set aside one or two hours in December or January. Close finished projects into a dated archive, test that your backups restore, export and close accounts you no longer use, and list every yearly renewal. End with a short table of what carries into next year.
Prepare a review record
Make a simple note with:
- Your devices: phone, computer, tablet
- Storage accounts: iCloud, Google, OneDrive, Dropbox, external drives
- Subscriptions and their billing channel
- Unfinished projects
Check any rules for how long to keep work or household records, such as tax documents. A new year does not make a document disposable.
1. Current work
List unfinished commitments. Give each one a next action and a date, or decide clearly to stop. A project you have not touched in six months probably needs a decision, not more space.
2. Finished projects
Move this year’s completed projects into Archive › 2026. Update any shortcuts or pinned folders that pointed to them. The folder system guide explains the Archive folder.
3. Backups and archives
| Check | How |
|---|---|
| Phone backup | Last successful backup in iCloud or Google settings |
| Computer backup | Time Machine or Windows backup shows a recent date |
| Restore test | Restore or open one file from the backup |
| Archive drive | Plug it in and open files from the start, middle and end |
| Second copy | Irreplaceable photos and documents exist in two places |
Do not delete old backups just because they are old. A backup you have tested matters more than a recent one you have never opened. The photo backup guide covers the most common gap.
4. Old accounts
Look through your password manager for accounts you did not use this year. For each one, export what you need, stop billing, and move any sign-in or recovery role before closing it. Use the old account closure checklist.
5. Renewals
Annual plans are easy to forget because they charge once. Look at 12 months of statements and list:
- Domain names, cloud storage, antivirus, software licenses
- Memberships and yearly app subscriptions
- Insurance or warranties renewed online
Record the next billing date and set a reminder a week before. The subscription audit walks through it.
Use a carry-forward table
| Item | Decision | Evidence or next step |
|---|---|---|
| Finished project | Archive | Location and date checked |
| Unfinished commitment | Continue or close | Owner, next action and date |
| Yearly plan | Keep, change or cancel | Billing channel and renewal date |
| Unsure record | Keep for now | Question and date to review |
Keep the table in your notes. Next year’s review starts by reading it.
Finish without a deletion target
Before deleting anything, check that current files still open from their new locations, and that no live project links to an archive you unplugged. A smaller storage number is not the goal. Being able to find things and recover from a lost device is.
Optional extras if you have time
- Clear the phone’s largest storage category with the phone storage guide
- Make a Best Of album for the year’s photos
- Update recovery phone numbers and emails on your main accounts
- Review which apps have access to your Google or Apple Account
Set next year’s smallest routine
Pick one recurring check that would have prevented this year’s biggest headache. The routine guide helps you set it up, and the weekly checklist keeps it small. A long annual session should never be a reason to delay this week’s work.
The end of the year is a good time to set up legacy contacts and update your digital estate planning checklist.
Digital Legacy & Account Access Kit · $24
This checklist as a 13-page printable organizer: legacy tool setup, an access map, fill-in pages for every device and account type, a wishes page, a first-month checklist for your family and a yearly review log.
Reviewed in November 2026. Linked guides hold the current platform steps.
