Support
Photo Cleaner — Storage Saver
Getting Started
How do I run my first scan?
Open the app and grant Photos access when prompted. The first scan starts automatically and runs entirely on your iPhone. You’ll see a live progress ring and growing counts as each category fills. Keep the app in the foreground for the first run; afterwards, Premium users can schedule background rescans.
How long does the first scan take?
It depends on your library size and device. On a recent iPhone, expect roughly 1,000-2,000 photos per minute for the first full pass. Subsequent scans only process newly added photos using the cached feature prints, so they finish in seconds.
What if I close the app mid-scan?
Scan state is checkpointed continuously. Reopen the app and tap “Resume scan” — we pick up exactly where we left off, no rework.
What the App Detects
What’s the difference between exact and near-duplicates?
Exact duplicates are bit-identical or visually identical — the same photo saved twice from messaging apps, AirDrop, HEIC re-saves, or screenshots of screenshots. Near-duplicates are visually very similar but not identical: burst-mode siblings, slight crops or edits, near-back-to-back selfies. Apple’s native Duplicates album only catches the first category; Photo Cleaner catches both using Apple Vision feature prints.
How does blur detection work?
We compute a variance-of-Laplacian score for each photo using Metal Performance Shaders — the standard mathematical measure of image sharpness. Photos below a threshold are flagged as blurry. Premium users get a sensitivity slider so you can keep more or fewer borderline shots.
Why did it flag a photo I want to keep?
Near-duplicate clustering can occasionally group visually similar but legitimately distinct photos (two different selfies at the same restaurant, for example). Blur scoring can flag intentional motion blur or shallow depth-of-field. Nothing is auto-deleted. Tap any photo to swap the recommended keeper, or uncheck individual photos before confirming the batch delete.
What does the “recommended keeper” mean?
For each group, we pick the photo most likely to be the one you want to keep — newest creation date, highest resolution, lowest blur score. The rest are pre-selected for deletion. You can tap any other photo in the group to make it the keeper instead.
Privacy & Permissions
Do my photos ever leave my phone?
No. Every scan runs on-device using Apple’s Vision framework and Metal Performance Shaders. We have no servers that hold user photos. You can verify zero network requests in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → App Privacy Report, or by enabling Airplane Mode — scanning still works. See the Privacy Policy for full details.
What permissions does the app need?
Photos access (read/write — required for the app to function), Notifications (optional, for background-rescan completion alerts), and Background App Refresh (optional, for Premium scheduled rescans). No microphone, camera, location, or contacts access.
Why does the app need write access to Photos?
Write access is required only to perform the deletions you confirm. iOS shows a system “Delete Photos” confirmation prompt for every batch. The app cannot delete a single photo without your explicit tap on that system prompt.
Deletes & Recovery
Where do deleted photos go?
Confirmed deletes are moved to your iOS Photos “Recently Deleted” album. iOS keeps them there for 30 days before permanently removing them. You can recover any photo from that album within the 30-day window directly in the Photos app.
I accidentally deleted a photo — can I get it back?
Open the Photos app, tap Albums, scroll to “Recently Deleted”, tap your photo, then tap Recover. This works for 30 days after the deletion. After that window, iOS removes the photo permanently and it cannot be restored by us or by Apple.
Free vs Premium
What’s free vs Premium?
Free: Unlimited exact-duplicate cleanup, unlimited screenshot cleanup, preview of the top 10 near-duplicate groups, preview of the top 10 blurry photos, with banner and interstitial ads. Premium: Unlimited near-duplicate cleanup, unlimited blur cleanup with adjustable sensitivity, Smart Albums (Faces, Scenes, Sources), scheduled background rescans, bulk “keep newest/highest-res” actions across all categories, and zero ads.
Why is there no weekly subscription?
Because we don’t agree with the practice. Several popular cleaners on the App Store charge $7.99 per week (equivalent to ~$416/yr). We charge $7.99/month or $49.99/year, full stop. This is a deliberate choice, not a temporary state — we won’t add a weekly tier.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — the Premium Annual plan ($49.99/year) includes a 7-day free trial. You’ll only be charged at the end of the trial. Cancel anytime in your Apple ID subscription settings before the trial ends.
How do I restore my purchase?
Open Settings inside the App and tap “Restore Purchases”. This re-applies your active subscription if you’ve previously purchased one on this Apple ID.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Open the iOS Settings app, tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions. Find Photo Cleaner and tap Cancel Subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.
Contact Us
Email Support
For questions, bug reports, or feature requests:
We typically respond within 48 hours. If you’re reporting a bug, including your iPhone model, iOS version, and rough library size helps us reproduce.