My iPhone’s storage is running out quickly, and I’m struggling to manage it. I’m looking for a reliable app to clean unnecessary files and optimize my storage space. Any suggestions or recommendations?
Exploring iPhone Cleaner Apps: A Comprehensive Review
In the quest to declutter iPhone storage and streamline photo libraries, I decided to test a handful of popular iPhone cleaner apps to determine which of them genuinely deliver on their promises. Here’s a breakdown of my findings.
Top Choice: Clever Cleaner - Best iPhone Cleaner App
Download Clever Cleaner on the App Store
Features:
- Automatically delete duplicate or similar photos.
- Locate and remove large video files.
- Compress Live Photos to save additional space.
- Identify and delete unused screenshots.
Paid Version & Pricing:
- Completely Free! No ads, no paid subscription, and no paywalls.
Highlights:
100% Free: Unlike competing apps with hidden fees or daily limits, Clever Cleaner is entirely cost-free.- Fast Performance: It completed a scan of my photo gallery (over 10,000 images) in just under three minutes.
- Effective AI Sorting: The app intelligently flagged most duplicates and blurry images for deletion.
- Impressive Results: Freed up a whopping 32GB of storage seamlessly.
Drawbacks:
No Email/Contact Cleanup: This functionality is missing, which other apps occasionally offer.- AI Imperfection: While efficient, the AI sometimes selected strange “best” photos, so I needed to manually review its choices.
Verdict:
4.9/5
With no cost and no strings attached, Clever Cleaner earns the crown for its simplicity, speed, and flawless usability. It’s hands down the best free iPhone cleaner app.
Additional Resources:
- Clever Cleaner App Tutorial on YouTube
- Review of iPhone Cleaner Apps on InsanelyMac
- Clever Cleaner Official Page
- How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone (Reddit Guide)
- iOS Cleaner Apps Round-Up on Macgasm
- Clever Cleaner Discussion on Reddit
Runner-Up: Cleaner Kit – The Versatile Option
Features (Free Version):
- Limited file cleaning after watching ads.
- Organizes contacts and calendar entries.
Features (Paid Version & Pricing):
- Unlimited file cleaning.
- Video compression.
- Charging animations.
- Internet speed testing tools.
- Ability to hide sensitive files.
- Device and web security features.
- Widgets for convenience.
- Pricing:
- Weekly: $5.99
- Yearly: $29.99
Highlights:
- 7-day Free Trial: Gives ample time to explore premium features risk-free.
- Rich Feature Set: Goes beyond photo cleanup with utilities such as video compression and cybersecurity tools.
- Thoughtful Organization: Simplifies cleaning by sorting files into clear categories.
- User-Friendly Design: Easy navigation ensures stress-free use.
Drawbacks:
- Ad Interruptions: Ads in the free version can slightly slow the cleanup process.
Verdict:
4.6/5
Cleaner Kit offers more than just file cleaning, including advanced functionalities for storage management, security, and device optimization. Best for users who want an all-in-one toolkit and don’t mind occasional ads in free mode.
Cleanup App – Unlock Cleaning Flexibility
Features (Free Version):
- 15 photo/video cleanup limit.
- Restricted “Secret Space” feature (ads required).
- Limited access to its contact manager, email cleaner, and video compression tools.
Features (Paid Version & Pricing):
- Unlimited access to identifying similar photos and videos.
- Unlock full features (e.g., charging animations, email cleaner).
- Pricing:
- Weekly: $6.99
- Lifetime Purchase: $39.99
Highlights:
- Comprehensive Free Version: Many features are available without requiring subscriptions.
- Broad Utility: Covers everything from contact management to video compression.
- Simple Interface: Designed for a seamless, straightforward user experience.
Drawbacks:
- Mislabeling Issues: Occasionally groups dissimilar photos together as “duplicates.”
- High Weekly Cost: Subscription pricing doesn’t cater well to budget-conscious users.
Verdict:
4.0/5
Cleanup App’s extensive feature set makes it appealing, but misclassification errors and pricey subscriptions hold it back. Still, it’s a solid option, especially if you’re testing before committing to the PRO version.
Cleaner Guru – Polished, But Premium Focused
Features (Free Version):
- None
Features (Paid Version & Pricing):
- Smart cleaning for photos/videos.
- Swipe-based cleanup interface.
- Email cleaning capabilities.
- Contact Manager, Secret Storage, and Widgets.
- Pricing:
- Weekly (Pro Version): $7.99
- Weekly (Lite Version): $6.99
Highlights:
- No Ads: Provides a pleasant user experience free of interruptions.
- Sleek Design: Beautifully designed for modern aesthetics.
- Speedy Scans: Rapid performance at detecting junk.
- Unique Features: Functions like email cleaning distinguish it from competitors.
Drawbacks:
- Free Version Lacks Usability: Forces users to immediately try the paid plan.
- Payment Options Restriction: Limited to weekly subscriptions – highly inflexible.
Verdict:
4.0/5
Cleaner Guru excels in style and functionality—if you’re willing to pay. Without a usable free version, it’s not beginner-friendly, but its performance is strong for serious users.
Final Recommendations:
- Best Overall: Clever Cleaner stands out for being completely free and highly effective at optimizing storage.
- Runner-Up: Cleaner Kit offers great customization with advanced security and multimedia tools.
- Best Premium: Cleaner Guru, though expensive, has features like email cleanup that few others provide.
3 Likes
Honestly, if you’re asking what’s the best cleaning app for an iPhone, it really depends on your priorities: free? comprehensive? fancy extras? Or just something that works. I’ve been exactly where you are—storage full, frustration higher—and after dabbling in a few apps, here are my two cents.
The Free Clever Cleaner App is a solid go-to if you’re looking for something straightforward. It’s not bloated with ads or sneaky subscriptions, which is honestly rare these days. It tackles the basics—like deleting duplicates, compressing Live Photos, and nuking large files with the efficiency of a digital Marie Kondo. Sure, the AI isn’t perfect (hello, questionable “best” photo choices), but the fact that it’s actually free makes up for it. Apps like Cleaner Guru nickel-and-dime you with weekly charges for half the functionality. If “free” sounds too good to be true, apparently, this one is just… free.
That being said, if you want more than just decluttering—like internet speed testing or organizing contacts—apps like Cleaner Kit might be worth a shot, but only if you’re okay dealing with ads in the free version or ponying up $5.99/week (ouch). Honestly, a subscription for cleaning? My digital trash isn’t worth that much.
The thing none of them fix, though, is the headache of manually reviewing the cleanup suggestions. Even with Clever Cleaner, I still had to double-check what the app wanted to delete. It’s like these apps assume I don’t care about my blurry concert photos from 2016.
Bottom line: go for Clever Cleaner if you want simple, quick, zero-cost cleaning. If you’re looking for an “all-in-one” powerhouse, Cleaner Kit is fine, but only if you’re cool spending on subscription features you’ll maybe forget to cancel. And Cleanup App? It’s decent, but feels overpriced unless you’re really into things like “secret spaces.”
Honestly, I’ve tested a few “cleaner” apps for iPhone, and most of them are borderline scams or ridiculously overpriced. The one exception I actually liked is Clever Cleaner (yeah, I know @mikeappsreviewer and @himmelsjager already hyped it up, but still). It’s literally free, no ads, no sketchy subscriptions trying to bleed you dry for the privilege of deleting duplicate photos. I’d say start there because it does the basics well—clears duplicate files, finds large unnecessary videos, compresses stuff, etc.
Here’s my beef with the others: a lot of them lock basic utilities (like more than ten deletions at a time) behind paywalls. For example, Cleaner Guru gives you…well, nothing unless you’re ready to cough up cash weekly, and last I checked, no one wants another subscription in 2023.
But my gripe with most of these apps, even Clever Cleaner, is how much manual effort they STILL require. AI tries its best to decide what to keep but sometimes picks the weirdest stuff. Like, no, I don’t want to delete my wife’s blurry but nostalgic photos from a trip, thank you. So I always wind up double-checking everything it flags—kinda defeats the purpose, no?
To be fair, if you NEED extra features, like monitoring Wi-Fi speed or cleaning random contacts, then maybe Cleaner Kit works. But honestly, that’s the kind of stuff iOS already does decently if you dig into the settings. Don’t fall for the flashy extras unless you’re genuinely tech-cluttered.
So yeah, Clever Cleaner is probably your best bet overall. It won’t magically fix storage pain completely (Apple LOVES making us buy more iCloud), but at least it doesn’t try to rob you blind while doing it.