9 Things You Can Do To Make Your iPhone Feel New

When you see other people whipping out their iPhone 6s Plus while you're still on an iPhone 5 (or even an earlier model), it's hard not to feel a little jealous, right? I mean, who knows what kind of amazing features they have? Maybe their version of Siri is straight-up cooking their meals at this point! Maybe Siri is sentient and feels bad about being trapped in a phone! Wouldn't that be cool?

If your phone is still working fine, you probably don't want to shell out more money for the new model, even if you are feeling some FOMO about the capabilities of your current phone. Never fear: there are some things you can do with your current iPhone that will make it feel brand new. After all, don't you remember how excited you were when you got that iPhone? Didn't it feel like a magic machine capable of anything? You may have changed in the last year of your life, but that phone hasn't. The magic is still there. So get ready to get excited about your iPhone again — or at least until your next upgrade. Here's how to make it, iPhone users:

1. Get a new case

Not that your current case isn't cool, but sometimes you see it so much that you're not really seeing it, you know? Pick out a sturdy new case from a site like Society6, and you'll be able to switch cases depending on your mood (or, if you're really cool, your outfit). I like this Beetlejuice-referencing one when for I'm feeling particularly dark, or this lip-shaped case by Stella McCarthy for sass.

2. Make some space

Do you really need all those photos and songs on your phone (as opposed to your computer), and do you really use that list-making app? Delete anything you haven't touched in three months, and watch your phone start to work better because it has more space.

3. Upgrade to the latest version

First, check to make sure that your phone isn't so old that upgrading to the newest version will cause problems. Then, upgrade. The new iOS is really, really good, and you're going to get excited about some of the new features that come with it for free. (READ: THE CHEESE EMOJI. Praaaaise.)

4. Get some new apps

When was the last time you actually checked out the app store? I couldn't live without old standards like Sunrise and Instapaper, but apps like Google Photos and Forest are new classics. Also, download Spaceteam and play it at a bar with your friends sometime. I mean it, it's the best.

5. Get a new background

Make your device gorgeous! I like looking for backgrounds through Pinterest; find something soothing, or motivational (sometimes, when I have a big task coming up, I make the background of my phone a bunch of ribbons and trophies).

6. Organize your apps

Your new background is pointless if you can't see it. Arrange your apps by color, or put them in folders, or have only a few apps on each screen — just making any sort of stylistic choice will improve the look of your phone.

7. Get the screen fixed

If your screen is cracked, it's time to stop playing text roulette with your thumbs. Bite the bullet and get a new screen — it will be worth it.

8. Polish it

Apple suggests using a soft cloth and a vinegar/water mixture, and it will be the most swag-tastic phone on the block.

9. Improve your phone's battery life

An easy way to do this? Find out which apps are pointlessly using your phone's location services and change their permissions. Here's how.

Images: Getty; Giphy