This satisfying app saved my digital camera roll (and iCloud storage)

Some individuals name me a photograph hoarder. I name myself a collector of tedious recollections and moments. However, irrespective of the way you slice it, I am as protecting of my digital camera roll as a dragon is over its mountain of gold. Since I misplaced a backup of all my pre-2016 footage someplace on a household laborious drive, I have been protecting my media shut, and my Apple iCloud storage even nearer. Nonetheless, there comes a time when there’s extra junk or repeated footage than there are fond recollections to look again on. What’s my hoard-count, you would possibly ask?

58,535 — and that is fairly dangerous contemplating the primary image is time-stamped on October 2, 2016. I am fairly good about tidying up my digital camera roll each couple of months now, however I by no means as soon as performed clean-up in my teenage years. There’s most likely 1000’s of ineffective screenshots of assorted memes, college assignments, and different junk that is simply taking on valuable actual property on my new iPhone 16 Pro.

I can not even mass-select and delete footage, particularly since one thing would possibly truly show invaluable sufficient to maintain. So, in need of spending hours upon hours manually deleting particular person footage, I discovered an answer.

I downloaded swipewipe

There actually is an app for every thing, is not there?

First, a confession: I’m not simply influenced in any respect. I can see a UGC (user-generated content material) advert milliseconds earlier than an influencer opens their mouth, and I at all times scroll previous posts like that as shortly as I can. It is my private micro-battle in opposition to the fixed over-consumerism that used to plague my bank card. Now, I am consciously proof against advertising — take that, TikTok store.

However because of the extremely acute focusing on that advertisements use these days, they know precisely what individuals are in search of, and are, subsequently, weak to purchasing. Years in the past, I bear in mind scrolling on TikTok and seeing an advert for a Tinder-like app that offered a streamlined option to do precisely what I wanted: clear up your digital camera roll, and quick. It was referred to as swipewipe.

I downloaded the app just a few days later, and I by no means used it as a result of I did not just like the interface — I did not even give it entry to my digital camera roll. Now, sitting right here in 2025, I knew one thing needed to be accomplished earlier than my image depend hit 60K, so I dredged it up from the archive of my app retailer library and gave it a shot.

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What’s swipewipe?

Tinder, however make it to your digital camera roll

Keep in mind what I stated about eager to mass-select and delete fields of images however being afraid of by chance scrapping a little bit reminiscence that outlined 17-year-old me? Okay, that does make me sound fairly tedious, however God-forbid a lady has pursuits. Fortunately, I discovered that this app did assist me protect these diamond-in-the-rough screenshots.

Swipewipe works by opening up your digital camera roll and prompting you to swipe both left or proper on them. Swiping proper retains the picture, whereas swiping left deletes it. I’ve to confess, with the brand new interface, it was truly fairly enjoyable — arguably extra so than the few courting app experiences I’ve had. I undoubtedly really feel extra completed closing this app out than Hinge.

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There are some things to notice, although. After going by way of the app’s fast (and non-obligatory) set-up course of, you clearly need to grant swipewipe entry to your Photograph Library. Once you’re completed granting permissions, you may be launched to a moderately colourful menu. The menu choices embody issues like on at the present time, Recents, and an abundance of specific months and years that will help you slim down specific intervals of your digital camera roll. There’s even a menu devoted to what the app deems as duplicates hiding in plain sight.

When you undergo all the images in a given menu, the app will immediate you to evaluate all the images you swiped left on to delete. Then, when you click on “Delete X Photographs” on the backside of the display screen, an official iOS message will seem asking if you wish to permit swipewipe to delete these footage. Choose Delete. Then, it offers you a profitable message outlining the variety of photos deleted and MB saved.

Is swipewipe value it?

Completely, particularly if you happen to’re fed up

And, as that header ought to embody, dedicated. I am adamant about not being influenced to the purpose of an app taking my cash until it actually is life-changing. Whereas swipewipe is completely genius and a beautiful option to go about each reminiscing and being productive, I do not assume the function is value $10 per week — possibly per 30 days, however that is simply my opinion.

That being stated, I am dedicated to really making essentially the most out of my three-day trial and canceling that membership irrespective of how a lot progress I make. Relying on the severity of your digital camera roll, that could be loads of time for you, too.

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FAQ

Q: What if I by chance swipe left on a photograph I wish to maintain?

Do not fret. To undo a swipe, faucet the again arrow icon within the higher proper hand nook, or simply faucet the present image you are on.