Posted on October 12, 2021
Amazon Watch is protecting rainforest and advancing the rights of Indigenous peoples with help from CREDO members
For 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and advance Indigenous rights in solidarity with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability and climate justice.
In March 2021, CREDO members voted to distribute a $58,290 grant to Amazon Watch, and since 2018, we’ve been able to donate $144,840 to help the organization fight for Indigenous peoples in the Amazon, elevate Indigenous women’s voices, and demand climate justice.
Since their March grant, Amazon Watch has secured a number of victories and launched new programs, with help from CREDO members. Here’s a quick sample of some of their recent work:
Recent Amazon Watch Victories
After months of sustained campaigning in solidarity with Amazon Watch’s partners, including the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB), in July British mining company Anglo American withdrew 27 mining research permits in Indigenous lands in Brazil, including the Munduruku territory of Sawre Muybu. These permits posed a significant threat to Indigenous peoples and their withdrawal is a major win for Indigenous self-determination and climate justice.
In response to the current trend toward the tipping point of the Amazon, when ecosystem destruction will push the rainforest to ecological collapse, as well as the calls from Indigenous peoples for allies to show solidarity, Amazon Watch hosted a Global Week of Action for the Amazon (GWOA) from September 5-11 in coordination with its coalition partners. The group organized online and in-person actions against a multitude of threats and amplified Indigenous-led solutions including the campaign to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025 (80×25).
While Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made false claims downplaying the severity of Amazonian deforestation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, Amazon Watch and its partners at Amazon in Flames Alliance released aerial photographs showing the real-time destruction of the rainforest to counteract these falsehoods.
CREDO’s grants supported Amazon Watch’s work to hold governments and leaders accountable for rainforest destruction and harm to Indigenous communities.
Amazon Watch’s recent work to avert the tipping point
Excitingly, on September 10, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) approved Motion 129, the 80×25 initiative proposed by Indigenous leaders and bolstered by Amazon Watch and its partners. This decision is monumental for Indigenous solutions and for avoiding the point of no return for the Amazon.
80×25 is a visionary proposal that Amazon Watch is committed to seeing across the finish line. Following the notable victory at the IUCN, Amazon Watch and its allies are amplifying the call of Indigenous peoples to safeguard the rainforest on the global stage. In November, Amazon Watch is attending the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) to accompany Indigenous leaders to advance the 80×25 campaign. The IUCN approval of 80×25 sets the stage for advancing this proposition at COP26 and attaining commitments from key international stakeholders.
This is a critical time for the Amazon. CREDO’s support has allowed Amazon Watch to respond to threats as they arise, and effectively move these unprecedented opportunities for ecosystem protection and Indigenous self-determination forward.
To learn more or get involved, visit the Amazon Watch website to take action on a recent campaign, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Posted on October 11, 2021
Women are the largest voting group in the country — Supermajority is making sure our leaders don’t forget it.
For decades, women, especially women of color, have been the backbone of our democracy. Women have been the majority of voters in every presidential election since 1964. But our country is still not working for us. The pandemic has deeply exposed the structural inequities that have always existed for women. It’s long overdue that our government listens to us and prioritizes us.
At Supermajority, we believe women can be the most powerful political force in this country, but only if we organize across our shared values. Supermajority uses values-based organizing to build women’s civic power. We’re building a multiracial coalition of women who are ready to vote together, have difficult conversations together, and make this world work for women.
Supermajority is giving women the skills, tools, and support they need to mobilize other women in their lives, have deep meaningful conversations with women frequently excluded from political programs, and a community to do this work. Our uniting values based agenda has already brought millions of racially diverse women together since we launched in 2019.
Our values based agenda, the Majority Rules:
Supermajority is working to build this aspirational, long-term vision of gender equity and pairing it with our superpower: organizing women who share our values but may not already be civically engaged.
Like many organizations, it’s been quietly busy here at Supermajority for the past nine months. After the 2020 election, we worked hard to regroup, set our sights on the next four years, and analyze the results of our programs.
Here’s what we learned: By Election Day 2020, our team of volunteers contacted 4.5 million voters, 93% of this community voted, and countless more in the circles of Supermajority members had tough conversations about voting, misinformation, and the power of women to determine the outcome of the election and every election going forward. Women, led by Black women, voted overwhelmingly to move this country forward.
The truth is women won the 2020 election. And after four years of Donald Trump, and months into a global pandemic, that felt more than great — it was a relief.
But after the Biden-Harris administration was sworn in and the celebration came to a close, we were still left with the reality of modern-day America. A reality where we didn’t know whether George Floyd’s murderer would be held accountable. A reality where GOP state lawmakers work overtime to pass voter suppression and anti-trans bills. A reality where we need to have all hands on deck to fight to pass funding for the care economy and for paid leave. And a reality where the precedent set by Roe v. Wade is being challenged in the Supreme Court. 
These realities are why I’m constantly reminded our work cannot happen only every four years. It can’t only happen when it’s time to vote for the president. And it can’t only happen three months before Election Day. It has to happen every year.
In 2021, we are focused on Virginia. We’re training members of this team to have deep canvassing conversations with young women to make sure that they turn out. Keeping Virginia blue means we can help prevent copycat bills that will restrict voting rights and abortion access, among other things from being passed.
Organizing is sometimes slow work. It’s sometimes hard work. And we are not promised a quick win, an easy fight, or endless resources. We are promised moments of joy, conviction, and laughter. Those moments are what keep me going.
That, and the vision of the world we’re working toward: a world where our lives are safe, our bodies are respected, our work is valued, our families are supported, our government represents us, and the lives and experiences of women, particularly women of color, are front and center in addressing all of our nation’s challenges.
It’s clear that we’re not there yet. But I believe one day, we will be. And in the meantime, I’m moving forward for my girls.
I wouldn’t be in this role if I didn’t believe with my entire heart and soul that women can change this country for good.
On my wishlist for next year? Contacting over 3 million young women in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia to protect the Senate and give the Biden administration more runway to pass sweeping progressive legislation.
Onward,
Amanda
Posted on October 11, 2021
Hollaback! is working to end harassment with the 5Ds of bystander intervention
Hollaback! works to end harassment in all its forms by transforming the culture that perpetuates hate and harassment. We carry out this mission by building the power of everyday people to create safe and welcoming environments for all.
One of the main pillars of our work is bystander intervention: we train people to respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment. We recognize that the systems and structures that create and reinforce harassment across our society are fundamentally made of people. We aim to equip everyday people with the tools to undo harassment in their everyday lives and to create impact in the organizations, institutions, and businesses around them.
Injustice can feel overwhelming: It can be hard to know what each one of us can do to help ourselves and communities feel safe – especially in times of crisis. Bystander Intervention is a safe and accessible tool that you can use to act when witnessing harassment. It’s something we can all do to show up for one another and make our communities safer. In fact, research from Cornell University shows that bystander intervention significantly reduces trauma for the person being harassed. In Hollaback!’s trainings, we outline the 5Ds of bystander intervention – actions you can take to make a difference.
Let’s talk about what the 5Ds can look like in action:
Distract: Creating a distraction to de-escalate the situation
Distraction draws attention away from the intensity of the harassment and ultimately de-escalates the situation. For example, you could drop your coffee — and people would scramble to help you clean it up or avoid the mess. You could also start a conversation with the person experiencing the harassment. Here, the idea is to build a safe space with the person being harassed while denying the person doing the harassing from getting the attention they are seeking.
Delegate: Finding someone else to help
Our favorite person to delegate to intervene is the one right next to us. Like us, they could share the very human desire to take care of other people. Unlike us, they may not have been trained in bystander intervention. Asking them to document a situation, intervene directly, or go and grab the manager while you monitor a situation are simple ways to create support for you when intervening, as well as for the person being harassed. You can also reach out to your HR department if you’re at work, and/or the social media companies where the harassment occurs — but it’s best to check in with the person being harassed first.
Document: Creating documentation and giving it to the person who was harassed
Whether you’re using your cell phone camera, pen and paper, or saving screenshots and hyperlinks, documentation is powerful. It offers their power back to the person being harassed and gives them the reassurance that what happened was wrong — while simultaneously giving them the concrete evidence they will need if they decide to report it.
Delay: Checking in on the person who experienced the harassment
Sometimes the harassment occurs too quickly for any intervention during it, so your intervention happens after the fact, and hence, is delayed. When this happens, a quick check-in can remind the person that what happened wasn’t okay and that anyone would be upset by it. When you Delay, you’re showing them that you’ve got their back regardless of what they choose to do about it (even if they choose to do nothing).
Direct: Setting a boundary with the person doing the harassing, and then turning your attention to the person being harassed
This is the most misunderstood of the 5D’s. It’s easy to assume that it’s about telling the person doing the harassing off, or at the very least, educating them. But it’s not really about them at all — or even about you for that matter. Like all of the 5Ds, it’s about prioritizing the person being harassed. Start by setting a boundary: say,“Hey, what did you mean by that?” or “That’s so disrespectful; give them some space.” Then turn your energy away from the person doing the harassing, toward the person being harassed. As tempting as it may be, don’t get into a back and forth. People actively harassing others aren’t in a mindset to learn at that exact moment, anyway.
In Hollaback!’s bystander intervention trainings, we say that each person has a superpower – a method of intervention that they feel most comfortable with. If you’d like to find your superpower, learn more about the 5Ds, and practice showing up as a bystander, we invite you to join one of Hollaback!’s upcoming bystander intervention trainings, including trainings addressing anti-Asian/American harassment and xenophobia, conflict de-escalation training, street harassment, online abuse, and more.
CREDO and supporters like you make it possible for our trainings to be free and accessible – thank you for investing in a world where everyone has the right to access public space!
Posted on October 11, 2021
Earth Guardians are Finishing the Year Strong with Support from CREDO Members
For nearly 30 years, Earth Guardians (EG) has been one of the leading grassroots, intergenerational organizations empowering young people in the environmental and climate justice spaces. We train diverse youth to be effective leaders in the environmental, climate, and social justice movements across the globe, using art, music, storytelling, on-the-ground projects, civic engagement, and legal action to advance solutions to the critical issues we face as a global community.
As an organization, we empower youth and invite them into key decision-making and visioning roles. Our staff team includes adult professionals as well as youth from around the globe. The Earth Guardians vision is shaped collaboratively by Staff, our Youth Council, a worldwide network of Regional Directors (RD), and an Indigenous Youth Committee, all of whom work together to design and support national and global youth campaigns and projects. Many of our EG youth leaders have been invited to speak about our work at high-profile engagements worldwide, which has drawn thousands more young people to Earth Guardians as supporters and crew members. As a result, today we are a global organization with over 300 on-the-ground crews (groups of young people at the heart of the organization who join together to design and implement community projects) located in more than 70 countries.
As ecosystems are affected by crises across the planet, climate, environmental, social, and political activism has flourished, particularly among young people, and Earth Guardians has risen to the challenge of connecting, supporting, and empowering youth to be impactful in these spaces. We have expanded our staff and Youth Council, joined powerful coalitions of other climate- and justice-focused organizations, and launched many new high-impact programs, campaigns, and trainings to help young people worldwide who are looking for connection, answers, and ways to kickstart their own activism and contribute to solutions. 
The 2021 crew training offered to Earth Guardians’ U.S. crews, or frontline groups, of mainly young activists and artists who represent and are supported by EG, and engaged in the issues and needs of their communities. This was a comprehensive training designed to help crew leaders lean into their fullest potential and to collaborate on and create more effective campaigns and projects. Workshops at the training will center on holistic and intersectional leadership skills, project management, coalition-building, and regenerative solutions. With intersectionality and social justice teachings incorporated throughout, this training is focused on grouping individual participants with similar project ideas or passions, and ensuring that each participant leaves with a well-constructed project, as well as ongoing support, that can be immediately adopted in their own communities.
Earth Guardians launched a program to offer direct financial support to young people and crews in the form of project grants, which directly benefit communities through efforts like tree plantings, traditional plant gardens, and ceremonial community space development as well as youth-led frontline actions, such as opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline.
We also train youth leaders who are responsible for managing multiple crews and campaigns within their respective global regions. EG aims to build RD’s leadership skills in a way that offers better vision, strategy and organization in the global climate movement for expanded impact. Further, EG hopes to enrich knowledge from the variety of shared experiences our RDs bring as the youth navigate different backgrounds, cultures, ages, and even regional-specific issues among the group. Training topics include project management and leadership, climate justice education, and justice equity diversity & inclusion principles. Climate change is a global issue that needs a global response, in this, EG sees the interconnectedness of our RDs as fundamental to the solution.
Now in its third year and building on the success from previous Indigenous youth trainings, EG’s Indigenous Youth Committee is organizing a week-long training specifically for Indigenous youth leaders from across Turtle Island. At the training, youth will honor and share their traditional ways of life while honing in on developing leadership skills and their inherent wisdom around social and environmental justice issues directly impacting their communities including Indigenous sovereignty, regenerative agriculture, ceremony, traditional medicines, frontline resistance, and decolonization while providing space for healing. The goal is to equip Indigenous youth with education, mentorship, and a network of support to continue building sovereignty among Native Nations, as EG sees this as a key solution to the climate crisis.
This is what we have in store for the final quarter of 2021 – all which will be possible through the support of CREDO Members.
Posted on October 6, 2021
Here’s how to unlock your phone with Face ID while wearing a mask
We’re 18 months into the pandemic, and we all know that face masks are critical to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
But we also know that it’s impossible to unlock our phones in public using facial recognition while wearing our masks. While this sounds like a problem of privilege, there are many people who must wear masks in their workplaces all day (think nurses, food service workers and other essential employees) and need to use their phones without removing their masks.
If you’re still struggling to quickly unlock your phone in public while wearing a face mask, we’ve got you covered. In this week’s tip, we’ll show you how to unlock your iPhone or Android device while wearing a face mask using facial recognition or Face ID.
How to unlock your iPhone using Face ID while wearing a mask
Instructions if you own an Apple Watch
Early in the pandemic, there were few good solutions for Apple users who wanted to unlock their phones with Face ID while wearing a face mask. In the months since, Apple has introduced a clever solution, but it requires an extra Apple device — an Apple Watch — which will act as a secondary authentication device to unlock your phone. Here’s how to enable this feature:
Before you begin:
- You must own an iPhone that uses Face ID (iPhone X or later) and has iOS 14.5 or later, as well as an Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 7.4 or later
- Make sure your Apple Watch and iPhone are paired and that both have Bluetooth and WiFi enabled.
- Ensure your Apple Watch has a passcode, and wrist detection is turned on.
How to enable & use the feature:
- Put on your Apple Watch & unlock it. Then, put on your mask.
- Go to Settings > tap Face ID & Passcode and type your passcode.
- Find Unlock with Apple Watch, then turn on the feature next to your watch’s name.
- To unlock your phone while wearing your mask, raise or touch your phone to wake it up.
- Glance at the screen, which should unlock it. Then, you can slide the screen up to begin using it.
If you’re having trouble, visit this help page at Apple. If you have a new iPhone 13, you may need to update your iOS. If all else fails, you can still use a passcode to unlock your device.
Train your phone to recognize your mask (maybe)
This is an unofficial tip, but you may be able to train your iPhone to recognize your face while wearing a mask. There are many anecdotes and YouTube videos claiming this is possible. You’ll need to set up an alternate appearance with your mask on or partially on.
We haven’t tried this for ourselves, so we can’t vouch for its effectiveness. The folks at 9to5mac detail some possible steps you can take if you’d like to reset your Face ID or set up an alternate appearance using this method. Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
Unlock your Android with facial recognition while wearing a mask
We must preface this by saying this is also an unofficial tip so we cannot guarantee success. However, Android also has a version of facial recognition that can unlock your phone without entering a passcode or pattern — and may work if you’re wearing a mask.
To enable it, you have to set up an alternate appearance similar to the steps for the iPhone noted above. Here’s how, but please note that these instructions may vary or not work depending on your device’s manufacturer or version of Android OS.
- Unlock your device and put on your mask.
- Go to Settings > Security (or Security & Location, or Biometric & Security)
- Tap Face Recognition
- Tap Add Alternative look
- Follow the on-screen instructions to add a new trusted appearance
Posted on October 5, 2021
Vote for Earth Guardians, Hollaback!, and Supermajority this October
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly donation to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This October, you can support climate justice, ending harassment and women’s rights by voting to fund Earth Guardians, Hollaback!, and Supermajority.
Earth Guardians
Earth Guardians works to inspire and empower youth globally, to participate and lead in creating impactful solutions to the climate crisis. Youth leaders connect through the arts, storytelling and community organizing.
CREDO funding will directly support youth empowerment to create powerful change using arts, storytelling, organizing and legal action. Your vote will enable Earth Guardians to inspire impactful solutions to the critical issues we face as a global community.
Hollaback!
Hollaback! works to end harassment in all its forms by transforming the culture that perpetuates hate and harassment. The organization carries out this mission by building the power of everyday people to create safe and welcoming environments for all.
Your support will provide free bystander intervention trainings at a time of increased need. With CREDO members, Hollaback! can meet this moment, providing people with effective skills to de-escalate and end harassment against impacted communities.
Supermajority
Supermajority is a racially diverse, intergenerational community of over 5 million women who are organizing and voting for a more equitable future. The organization is uniting women with shared values of safety, dignity, and respect to transform our country.
Funding from CREDO will support women as voters. Supermajority is sharpening online tools and resources to make organizing and volunteering easier than ever and pushing conversations forward on women’s priorities like care, paid leave, and a living wage.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donation among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by October 31.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and CREDO Energy and join our movement.
Posted on October 5, 2021
CREDO’s Progressive Crossword Challenge: Can you answer all 11?
Do you Reduce, Reuse and _ _ _ _ _ _ _? Did you “Feel The _ _ _ _?” Do you know how much CREDO has donated to progressive organizations since we were founded in 1985?
If you can answer these, then you should have no trouble with CREDO’s Progressive Crossword Challenge!
Test your progressive knowledge by answering all 11 crossword puzzle clues — either on-screen or printed out — then check your answers on our blog.
Try your hand at our new progressive crossword below, then scroll down for the answers. Don’t cheat!
DOWN
1 – An organization not conducted or maintained for the purpose of making a profit
2 – Pride month
3 – Post-9/11 government surveillance act
5 – “Feel the _ _ _ _”
7 – Most common natural disaster around the world
8 – Year Roe v. Wade was decided
ACROSS
4 – State with the most restrictive abortion la as of Sept. 2021
5 – Acronym for a social movement dedicated to fighting racism and police brutality against Black people
6 – An action you take during elections
9 – Last of the three Rs
10 – Total amount donated by CREDO Mobile so far
11 – Phone company that donates $2 million annually to progressive nonprofits
CLICK HERE TO SEE ANSWERS.
Posted on October 1, 2021
Our September grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups working for voting rights, climate justice and women’s rights. In September, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to Democracy for America, Inside Climate News, and Women’s March.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our September grant recipients thank you.
Democracy for America
$50,105
“Thank you CREDO Members! Your support will allow us to launch a comprehensive data driven organizing campaign in support of our candidates up and down the ballot. Your commitment to social change empowers our volunteers to be able to reach voters all over the country.” – Yvette Simpson, CEO Democracy for America
To learn more, visit https://www.democracyforamerica.com.
Inside Climate News
$46,941
“Thank you for your continued support and partnership! CREDO members like you make it possible for Inside Climate News to continue to raise the bar for groundbreaking, independent journalism focused on the escalating climate crisis.” – David Sassoon, founder and publisher
To learn more, visit https://insideclimatenews.org/.
Women’s March
$52,954
“Thank you for your support of our movement. CREDO members like you make Women’s March’s work possible– CREDO grants have supported the millions of women in our base to take action for gender, racial, and economic justice.” – Rachel O’Leary Carmona, Executive Director, Women’s March
To learn more, visit womensmarch.com.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in October, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on September 30, 2021
How to transfer your data to a new smartphone
It’s one of the most common questions we get: How do I transfer all the data and information from my old smartphone to my brand new or gently used phone?
The good news is that moving your information to a new phone these days is really easy — and only takes a few simple steps to get up and running on your new device.
In this week’s tip — just in time for the brand new iPhone 13 — we’ll run through how to transfer your data and settings to a new device in a few easy steps.
Moving data from your old iOS device to a new iPhone or iPad
Apple has made moving your data from one phone to another incredibly easy with a system called “Quick Start.” Here’s how to automatically move your important data to your new device.
Before you start:
- Have your Apple ID and password ready.
- If you have an Apple Watch, unpair it from your old phone.
- Make sure you have a backup of your old device before beginning. Here’s how to back up your phone.
Transfer your data (courtesy of Apple)
- Choose a time when you will not need to use both your old and new devices. The process may take a little while.
- Plug in both devices; ensure your old phone is turned on. Place both devices near each other, and turn on your new device.
- A screen appears on your current device that offers the option of using your Apple ID to set up your new device. Make sure that it’s the Apple ID that you want to use, then tap Continue. If you don’t see the option to continue on your current device, make sure that Bluetooth is turned on.
- Wait for an animation to appear on your new device. Hold your current device over the new device, then center the animation in the viewfinder.
- Wait for a message that says Finish on New [Device]. If you can’t use your current device’s camera, tap Authenticate Manually, then follow the onscreen steps.
- When asked, enter your current device’s passcode on your new device. Then follow the instructions to set up Face ID or Touch ID on your new device.
- When you see the Transfer Data from [Device] screen, tap Continue to begin transferring your data from your previous device to your new device. Or you can tap Other Options to transfer apps, data, and settings from your most recent iCloud backup or transfer from a backup on your computer.
Quick note: This method is only available if your devices are running iOS 11 or later (Here’s how to check).
If you are unable or do not want to use Quick Start to move your data, you can also check out how to use iCloud or iTunes or Finder from Apple’s website
Moving data from your old Android device to a new one
Transferring your data from an old Android to a new one is just as easy. You will still need to backup your old phone, but the process to transfer your data is quite simple.
Before you begin:
- Charge both phones
- Double-check that you are able to unlock the old device
- On your old phone, go to Settings and sign in with your Google account.
- Backup your data: Go to Settings > System > Backup, then choose Backup Now > Continue. (Note that these instructions may be different depending on your device’s manufacturer)
Transfer your data (courtesy of Google)
- Turn on your new phone.
- Tap Start. If you don’t see “Start,” you can copy your data manually.
- When asked, choose to copy apps and data from your old phone.
- If you have a cable to connect your phones, follow the on-screen instructions to copy your data.
- If you don’t have a cable:
- Tap No cable? > Ok.
- Tap A backup from an Android phone.
- To copy your data, follow the on-screen instructions.
If you are having trouble, you can copy your data manually from one phone to the other. Here’s how.
How to transfer your data from iOS to Android — or Android to iOS
Some new and existing CREDO members sometimes make the switch from Android to a new iPhone, or vice-versa. While transferring data to a new operating system isn’t difficult, it does involve a few extra steps.
That’s why we have a separate blog post to walk you through this painless migration. Check out our previous post “How to migrate your phone’s data from Android to Apple iOS — and back.”
Posted on September 22, 2021
How to instantly speed up a sluggish smartphone
Is your smartphone not running as quickly as it used to? Is it acting slowly when you open new browser tabs or switch from app to app?
We know how frustrating it can be — but don’t worry! The fix could be something as easy as cleaning up some space or clearing out your cache. Here are a few simple tricks to get your phone running like new again.
If you’ve noticed that your smartphone feels generally slower than it did when you first unboxed it, then you might need to clear your device’s cache, the temporary storage of data that keeps your phone from having to download the same data over and over again.
Your phone’s cache usually keeps your device running quickly, but if it gets full, it’s time to empty it out. Clearing your browser and app cache will free up valuable space, especially on older models, and hopefully speed up internet browsing and general phone performance at the same time. Here’s how:
Instantly Speed up your Apple Device
Clearing cache on an iPhone or iPad using Safari (via Apple)
- Go to Settings > Safari
- Tap Clear History and Website Data, then confirm.
If you use another common browser on your iPhone or iPad, here are the instructions for Google Chrome and Firefox.
Offloading apps on Apple device to clear space
You may also see improvement by deleting data or cache for individual apps on your smartphone, especially if you have a device that has limited storage.
You can do this by offloading certain unused apps that are using up a lot of space, which will temporarily delete the app from your device, but retain its settings and documents if and when you decide to download the app again.
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage)
- Scroll down to see a list of apps arranged by how much storage space each is using.
- Tap the app that is using up a lot of space.
- If you’re not currently using the app, but want to save its data and documents, click Offload App.
- If you don’t think you’ll use the app again, and you also don’t care about losing associated data, click Delete App.
Alternatively, you can enable your Apple device to offload unused apps automatically when you’re running low on space. You can do this by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage) and click Enable to turn on that feature.
Instantly Speed up your Android Device
Clearing cache on an Android device using Chrome (via Google)
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app.
- At the top right, tap three dots for More.
- Go to History > Clear browsing data.
- At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
- Next to “Cookies and site data” and “Cached images and files,” check the boxes.
- Tap Clear data.
Clearing app cache on an Android device
Similar to the iPhone, you can clear out cache for individual apps to improve performance. (Note: Instructions may vary depending on manufacturer and model)
- Go to Settings > Storage > Internal Storage
- Tap Cached Data
- Tap “OK” to clear out app cache for all apps.
Here are some additional tips from Google on speeding up an Android device.
Restart your device
When all else fails, it’s always a good idea to restart your device, which can free up some memory, stop background processes or unstuck an app that is causing you problems.
- Here are some detailed instructions to restart your iPhone or restart your iPad.
- Here are additional instructions to restart a Samsung device or turn off your Pixel.
Consider upgrading your device
If your phone still isn’t performing the way you’d like, consider upgrading your device. We are offering some amazing deals on the latest smartphones — and your phone bill will help empower climate justice, civil rights and economic justice, at no extra cost. Visit CREDOMobile.com and find the phone that’s right for you!
