New Year, New Start: Tips to Get Your Cellphone Organized

Give your cellphone a fresh start for the New Year. Here are 4 quick and easy steps you can take to start 2018 with your device working its best, and to have all of your apps and key data right up-to-date.

Add birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates to your calendar.

Once you’ve added them, you’ll never miss a special day again. You can setup reminders ahead of time, so you’ll remember to pick up a gift, and even share entries with family or friends if you’re using the iCal or Google Calendar apps.

Backup your photos.

Your camera roll is probably packed with photos from the holidays. Save them to your computer, an SD card, or cloud storage–then, delete them from your phone’s memory. This will free up additional space so you can start creating and saving new memories, and will also help your device perform better.

Download a new app that helps with your New Year’s resolutions.

With more than two million apps out there to choose from, it’s highly likely you’ll find one, and possibly more, that will serve as a handy aid to help you accomplish your goals. Consider trying a fitness app, a budget app, or a mindfulness app to keep you on track.

Do a quick phone clean-up.

Now is a great time to review your apps, contacts, and downloaded files. Remove any that you no longer need, and make sure you have up-to-date information for all of your most important contacts.

Commit to spending just a few minutes doing each of these, and I guarantee you’ll be happy with the results all year long!

42 Thoughts on "New Year, New Start: Tips to Get Your Cellphone Organized"

  1. robert scamporino says

    This service is a joke. The agents attempted to transfer my number from tracfone and a result, tracfone has de activatedd my account and I cannot connect to consumers. I am without a phone for the holidays, can’t reach consumers. Thanks a lot. Tracfone says I need a new sim card and it will take a week to get here. Thanks again.

    • Hi Robert, thanks for your post. I see that you spoke to Traci on Saturday and this was resolved. If you have any other issues please let us know. We can be reached at 888-345-5509 if you need us. Have a great day!

    • Catherine McGee says

      Robert, you are right. The service is extremely poor and has long waiting lines. When you finally reach an agent, the person is often ill-equiped to help. I can only imagine how much training the agents receive.

      • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

        We’re sorry to hear that we weren’t able to assist you quickly, Catherine. Our account advisors are trained on a variety of devices and troubleshooting techniques, and we are happy to help you with any outstanding issues at 888-345-5509. Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to assisting you!

  2. Paulette Jean Widdowson says

    I attempted to reactivate my CC account after 2 years with another company using a iPhone6 on 12/23/17 and the SIM card will not work to even open my phone. CC is not doing what it takes to satisfy my need to smoothly transfer service, plus I see I am being charged for this non-service. I truly expected a lot more help!

    • Hi Paulette, thank you for reaching out. We will be happy to get you set up, but I’ve verified that the iPhone you want to use is locked to your previous provider. They will have to unlock the phone if you want to use it with our service. You can purchase a phone to use in the meantime or if you have another unlocked phone, we can try it with our SIM card. Please be on the lookout for an email from us and can follow up with you there. Thanks again for your message!

  3. Mary Burke says

    How do I get caller ID both ways, sending , receiving?

    • Hi Mary, thanks for your question. I’ve reviewed your account and made an update to the caller ID feature. Please restart your phone and the outgoing caller ID should begin displaying your number. Incoming caller ID should already be working. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, please let us know. You can reach us at 888-345-5509. Have a great day!

  4. Jeanne says

    I have trouble receiving group text. I’ve looked at the help provided on my phone but it doesn’t help. When I get a group text it doesn’t download. I also get a pop up asking me to change to sms for my messages whe I send text. I have a moto G4.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Jeanne. It sounds as if you may be using another app primarily for messaging, which could be why you are getting the “pop up” messages. I’ve reviewed your account and everything looks to be in order regarding the ability to send and receive messages, so please give us a call at 888-345-5509 so that we can perform some additional troubleshooting. We look forward to resolving this with you, and we appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us today!

      • karl bryant says

        how do i get my messages on my k10 phone

        • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

          Thank you for posting, Karl. I took a look at your account, and I see that you’re using our SIM card. If you aren’t receiving any messages at this time, we may need to update the APN settings on your phone. Please call us at 888-345-5509 at your convenience, and we will be happy to work with you to resolve this issue. We appreciate you reaching out to us, and we hope to speak with you soon!

  5. Michael A Howell says

    I just received my sim card with no activation code. I can’t get anybody in the call center to actually take a call. And no I didn’t receive an activation code with my paperwork. Come on CC don’t make me regret going to your service before mine is even activated.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Michael. When you receive a SIM card that was ordered through our website, there won’t be an activation code. I reviewed your account and I see that we were able to help you activate your new SIM card over the phone and begin your number transfer. We’re happy to provide you with an update or answer any other questions you may have at 888-345-5509. We appreciate your patience, and thanks again for reaching out to us today!

  6. Dolores says

    I do alot of traveling to Dallas, Bandera, San Juan, Texas. Will I get service without any problems. No I’m not a customer. Need more info before I switch.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us, Dolores! We offer nationwide service on two of the largest networks in the country. To look at specific areas in Texas that you frequent, you can visit our Coverage Map here. If you like, we can also speak to you over the phone to review other locations and give you an idea of the level of service you can expect. We’re happy to answer any other questions about our service, or help you get started! Thanks again for posting today, and we hope to see you as a customer soon!

  7. Terry Robinson says

    We have had this service for a while. My wife just changed her phone. Sometimes she cannot call or text me (not received). Sometimes it is the other way around. It happened before she got a new phone, but not as often. Note: I can text her, but her phone is not texting back or even working when reply is hit. I do notice that her’s says “type an SMS message.” mine does not. I think it is a setting on her phone, but I have no idea. Help? Phone seems to work both ways…..at this moment.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We’re happy to troubleshoot this issue for your, Terry. Some updates or settings may need to be adjusted in your wife’s phone. Please call us at 888-345-5509, and we will be happy to assist you. If possible, please call from a different phone so that if we need you to power your wife’s phone off then on again, we’ll still be able to stay on the line. Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us, and we look forward to assisting you!

  8. VANESSA says

    I have a Sprint phone that is now out of contract. When we asked the rep at Target he said it was just a case of taking out the Sprint Sim card and inserting the CC. Next time we went to Target, the rep said that Sprint phones cannot carry over. Please confirm

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for asking, Vanessa. In general, unlocked GSM phones work best with our SIM card, such as those used previously with AT&T or T-Mobile, though we aren’t able to guarantee that a device sold elsewhere will work with our service. You can test your phone with our SIM card risk-free if you like. We can send you one if you call us at 888-345-5509, order one on our website here or you can pick one up at your local Target store. Just choose the most convenient option! We appreciate you taking the time to post, and if you have any other questions about our service, please don’t hesitate to call. We hope you have a lovely day!

  9. A. Talley says

    Just added my daughter to my account which makes 4 lines being used. The unlimited talk and text is great but the date should be more across all plans. Really what can you do with 250 mb. Should start at 1 GB for $5.00, 2GB for 10.00 and so on. Please consider a better price for data.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, A. We always appreciate suggestions and feedback regarding our plans, as it helps us create options that work well for our customers. At this time, we do offer 1GB of data for just $10 a month. I’m happy to pass your comments on to our management team, so thank you for posting. We hope you have a great day!

  10. sallyb says

    We have two phones on CC and are very satisfied with the service. One of our phones got a message this morning saying that our carrier has changed setting and we need to update. The other phone does not have that message. Have you changed your phone settings? Is this message from CC? Thanks.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for checking with us, Sally. This is a standard software update for your phone that is released by the manufacturer. You may see it come through to the other phone on your account in the next few days. You should be able to follow the prompts given on the screen. If you run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!

  11. Carol Stevens says

    I called support because text were not coming through. I decided it was time for a new phone I could actually install an app on. Old phone had no room! The next day texts started working and I got 22 at once, but got the new phone at a great price and help setting it up. I’m sure glad I purchased through you instead of a store. I like having my sim card in the phone and ready to activate! Thanks for making my new year start easily.. and my getting a new phone for my birthday this month! I’ve always been happy with CC. Support may take a little more time to contact with all the different technology out there, but if I can’t find the answer online they are there for me… always. Keep up the good work CC!

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Carol, and for sharing your kind words! Congratulations on your new phone, and remember, our How-To videos are a great resource as you get to know your new phone. We’re always happy to help with a question over the phone as well, so don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us, and we hope you have a lovely day!

  12. Rolando Francisco says

    How do I get rid of the ADS (full screen) that keep popping on my homesreen when I open my Moto X and also when I’m using the phone.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Rolando. It looks like you are using a phone that we don’t offer at this time, so if you are experiencing some issues with ads, we recommend checking with Motorola for additional support. We’re happy to assist you with any account questions or concerns at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!

  13. Abraham Lenkov says

    I have talked to 3 of your so called PROFESSIONALs who do not know anything about Apple phone to switch from a 32GB to a 128GB, I have to LAUGH at the answers I GOT FROM YOUR SO CALLED EXPERTS, who do not know enough to answer me, I think your COMPANY is a JOKE.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We apologize for any frustration you’ve experienced, Abraham. If you are looking to switch from an iPhone with 32GB to one with 128GB, we’re happy to assist you with that order. A new phone is needed, as more storage space can not be added to an iPhone. There are other cloud storage options available, including iCloud or Google Photos, which may allow you to gain some space. If we can be of any assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. Thank you for your feedback, and we hope to speak with you soon!

  14. Bryan Bucci says

    how do i call forward?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for asking, Bryan! I was able to take a look at your account, and I see that we were able to help you set this up. If we can be of any further help to you at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us again at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a wonderful day!

  15. Frank Brophy says

    In several corners within my house, I do not receive calls and have no bars on the signal strength indicator. What i the best way to increase signal strength in these areas?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for asking, Frank! Depending on the type of building materials used, you may be unable to access a cellular signal in some areas of your home. You should receive the best results when you are near a window or outside wall. We’re happy to see if any updates are available to provide you with a stronger signal, so please feel free to call us at 888-345-5509 at your convenience. We appreciate you posting, and we look forward to speaking with you!

  16. J. Franklin says

    Long time Consumer cellular customer. Purchased one of your new Motorola phones . have been trying for two days to reach customer service by phone to work thru some activation issues. left appointment time for call back ….no call back, tried again …. no call back
    becoming frustrated with customer service since no one will call me .
    please reply to my direct e mail

    how can i contact someone in customer service?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for reaching out to us, J. We apologize for the wait you experienced during the activation process. I was able to take a look at your account, and I see that we were able to help you get your new phone up and running successfully. If we can help you with any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a lovely day!

  17. Bob Hott says

    My previous phone had Voicemail from Android APK that listed and accessed voicemail messages. Is this available with CC on my Galaxy J3?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thanks for asking, Bob. We offer a free voicemail option, which you can access by pressing and holding “1” on your phone. There are a variety of other visual voicemail apps available from the Google Play store that you could try. If you find one that works quite well for you, please post it here. We love hearing about great apps from customers! If you need help setting up your voicemail or if we can assist you with anything else at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!

  18. Jose Cabrales says

    I have a Z828 Android version phone. I want to know how to download my text messages to my pc. Thanks.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thanks for asking, Jose. There are a variety of apps available that can help you do this, with some apps including more robust features. We recommend that you search for “SMS backup” in the Google Play store to find an option that will save them in your preferred format. If you find a particularly good option, be sure to share here on the blog! We appreciate you posting, and we hope you have a great day!