This satisfying app saved my digicam roll (and iCloud storage)

Some individuals name me a photograph hoarder. I name myself a collector of tedious recollections and moments. However, regardless of the way you slice it, I am as protecting of my digicam 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 arduous drive, I have been maintaining 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 may ask?

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

I am unable to even mass-select and delete footage, particularly since one thing may really show precious sufficient to maintain. So, in need of spending hours upon hours manually deleting particular person footage, I discovered an answer.

I downloaded swipewipe

There really 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 all the time 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 resistant to advertising — take that, TikTok store.

However as a result of extremely acute focusing on that advertisements use these days, they know precisely what individuals are on the lookout for, and are, due to this fact, susceptible to purchasing. Years in the past, I keep 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 digicam roll, and quick. It was known 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 digicam roll. Now, sitting right here in 2025, I knew one thing needed to be executed earlier than my image rely 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 on your digicam roll

Bear in mind what I mentioned about eager to mass-select and delete fields of pictures however being afraid of by chance scrapping a 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 digicam roll and prompting you to swipe both left or proper on them. Swiping proper retains the photograph, whereas swiping left deletes it. I’ve to confess, with the brand new interface, it was really 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 optionally available) set-up course of, you clearly must grant swipewipe entry to your Picture Library. While you’re completed granting permissions, you may be launched to a moderately colourful menu. The menu choices embrace issues like on at the present time, Recents, and an abundance of specific months and years that will help you slender down specific intervals of your digicam 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 evaluation all the images you swiped left on to delete. Then, when you click on “Delete X Photos” 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 provides you with a profitable message outlining the variety of pictures deleted and MB saved.

Is swipewipe price it?

Completely, particularly in case you’re fed up

And, as that header ought to embrace, dedicated. I am adamant about not being influenced to the purpose of an app taking my cash except it really is life-changing. Whereas swipewipe is totally genius and a stunning option to go about each reminiscing and being productive, I do not assume the function is price $10 per week — possibly per thirty days, however that is simply my opinion.

That being mentioned, I am dedicated to actually making essentially the most out of my three-day trial and canceling that membership regardless of how a lot progress I make. Relying on the severity of your digicam 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 need to preserve?

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.