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

Some folks 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 conserving 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 unhealthy 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 in all probability 1000’s of ineffective screenshots of varied memes, faculty assignments, and different junk that is simply taking over valuable actual property on my new iPhone 16 Pro.

I am unable to even mass-select and delete footage, particularly since one thing would possibly truly show worthwhile sufficient to maintain. So, wanting spending hours upon hours manually deleting particular person footage, I discovered an answer.

I downloaded swipewipe

There actually is an app for every little 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 towards the fixed over-consumerism that used to plague my bank card. Now, I am consciously proof against advertising and marketing — take that, TikTok store.

However as a result of extremely acute concentrating on that advertisements use these days, they know precisely what individuals are on the lookout for, and are, due to this fact, weak 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 strategy to do precisely what I wanted: clear up your digital camera roll, and quick. It was known as swipewipe.

I downloaded the app a couple of 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 carried out 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 in your digital camera roll

Keep in mind what I stated about desirous to mass-select and delete fields of images however being afraid of by chance scrapping a bit of 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 photograph, 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 relationship app experiences I’ve had. I undoubtedly really feel extra achieved closing this app out than Hinge.

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There are some things to notice, although. After going by the app’s fast (and elective) set-up course of, you clearly must grant swipewipe entry to your Picture Library. While you’re completed granting permissions, you will be launched to a quite colourful menu. The menu choices embody issues like on at the present time, Recents, and an abundance of specific months and years that can assist you slender 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 evaluation all the images you swiped left on to delete. Then, when you click on “Delete X Photographs” on the backside of the display, an official iOS message will seem asking if you wish to permit swipewipe to delete these footage. Choose Delete. Then, it will provide you with a profitable message outlining the variety of photos deleted and MB saved.

Is swipewipe value it?

Completely, particularly for those who’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 totally genius and a beautiful strategy to go about each reminiscing and being productive, I do not suppose the characteristic is value $10 per week — possibly monthly, 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 need to hold?

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.