Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

The difference between a new tech gadget and an older one often feels like night and day. When it comes to your phone, a thorough cleanup inside and out can do a world of good.

Cookies, location services, and ad networks can slow your device down and even pose privacy and security risks. It only takes a few minutes to clear out the junk bogging you down.

I recommend doing this cleanup a few times yearly for the best performance.

First, remove your phone’s case and accessories. You want to reach every nook and cranny.

A microfiber cloth works for wiping away smudges and grease, but I prefer screen cleaning wipes designed for smartphones. Skip paper towels. They’re too rough for delicate jobs like this.

Your phone’s ports collect dust, grime, and dirt. Avoid using cotton swabs, which leave behind fuzz and could leave you worse off than when you started. Toothpicks can work if you are very gentle, but it’s too easy to break off the sharp end inside a port.

I prefer tools made for the job: anti-static brushes, nylon brushes, cleaning cloths and de-dusting film.

If you keep your phone in a case, I bet you’re shocked every time you take it off and see all the grime collected inside it. You don’t need to be quite as careful with your case as your phone’s screen and ports.

For plastic, rubber, and silicone cases, grab an old toothbrush and a bit of warm, soapy water. Use the toothbrush to reach all the corners and crevices. Rinse it thoroughly.

Very lightly dampen a microfiber cloth with water and a mild soap for leather cases. Lightly rub the case in circular motions.

After it’s clean, let your case dry thoroughly before you put it back on.

It’s smart to inventory what apps are on your phone now and then. Delete what you don’t use regularly. Delete or close down the account associated with the app before you remove it.

On your iPhone, open the Settings app, tap General, then iPhone Storage. Scroll and select the apps you want to delete. Tap Delete App and Delete App again to confirm.

On Android gadgets, go to Settings, then tap Apps. A list of the apps on your phone will appear. Select the app you want to delete and tap Uninstall. (Note: Your exact steps may differ depending on the device’s manufacturer.)

Most apps on your phone collect info to learn more about you. This data can be used for targeted advertisements, marketing, and improvements to systems like search engines and voice assistants.

Give your phone a privacy checkup by reviewing the permissions you’ve given your apps. You might be surprised at which ones use your camera, microphone, or location data.

Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap the Privacy icon.

Select a tool on which you want to check permissions, like Calendars, Location Services, or Camera. A list of apps that have access to these tools will appear.

Choose which apps can access these tools on your device and remove permissions from apps you don’t want to collect data.

Open the Settings app and click Privacy.

Tap Permission manager to see a list of permissions and the apps granted those permissions. You will see Body sensors, Calendar, Camera, Location, Microphone, and more.

Click an app to change its permission settings.

Your phone’s browser stores tiny files that help sites load faster and collect lots of data. You can wipe that out.

To delete the cache from your iPhone’s Safari browser, follow these steps below:

Open Settings, scroll down and select Safari.

Under the Privacy & Security section, tap Clear History and Website Data. This will remove browsing history, cookies, and other site data.

You can clear the cache from other apps, too. Tap Settings, General and iPhone storage, and scroll through your apps. They are listed by the amount of space they take from most to least.

If an app uses a ton of space, like more than 500MB, it’s a good idea to uninstall and reinstall it later. You won’t lose any personal information, but you may need to re-enter your login details.

To delete the cache from the Chrome browser on an Android phone, follow these steps below:

At the top right, tap the three-dot icon.

Tap History, then Clear browsing data.

At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.

Check the boxes next to “Cookies and site data” and “Cached images and files.”

Clearing the cache from your apps can improve performance and give you more room for photos, videos, and new apps.

Open the Settings app, then tap Storage.

Tap Apps to see a list of your installed apps.

Find the application you want to clear the cache of and tap it. Tap Clear Cache to delete the app’s cache.

Android also allows you to free up space by deleting infrequently used apps and files. To access the Free Up feature, follow the steps below:

Your phone will recommend junk files, duplicates, memes, screenshots, blurry photos, and more for removal. Choose a category and tap Select files.

Choose each file you want to remove. At the bottom, select Move (number) files to Trash.

Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Oklahoma's average price was $3.43 on Monday, the second-lowest in the nation, according to GasBuddy. 

It includes a checkout-free experience for customers.

Efforts to establish the industry involving drones, electric and autonomous vehicles, and battery manufacturing are projected to create thousands of new, high-paying jobs.

Designed for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, their intended use is close combat support by the Air Force. The contract, for now, has a cost ceiling of $3 billion.

OmniTRAX will operate all rail switching services on the Port of Catoosa Industrial Railroad.

Close to 50 projects are planned over the next three years in the nation's 14 counties, the largest three-year endeavor in the tribe's history, the chief said.

Bed Bath & Beyond stock was soaring once again today as the short squeeze in the meme stock accelerated. Get that and more of today's trending news here.

Plans to install LED streetlights in Jenks — starting in October — and eventually Tulsa later this year also are in the works, a spokesman said.

Apple said the vulnerabilities give hackers the ability to take control of a device's operating system to "execute arbitrary code" and potentially infiltrate devices through "maliciously crafted web content."

City commercial building permits are listed by owner, tenant or building name. This weekly update lists new commercial construction, expansion…

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.