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

Some individuals name me a photograph hoarder. I name myself a collector of tedious reminiscences 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 photos someplace on a household exhausting drive, I have been conserving my media shut, and my Apple iCloud storage even nearer. Nevertheless, there comes a time when there’s extra junk or repeated photos than there are fond reminiscences 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 digicam 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 varied memes, faculty assignments, and different junk that is simply taking over treasured actual property on my new iPhone 16 Pro.

I can not even mass-select and delete photos, particularly since one thing would possibly truly show precious sufficient to maintain. So, in need of spending hours upon hours manually deleting particular person photos, 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 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 concentrating on that adverts 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 supplied a streamlined technique to do precisely what I wanted: clear up your digicam roll, and quick. It was referred to as swipewipe.

I downloaded the app a number 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 digicam roll. Now, sitting right here in 2025, I knew one thing needed to be finished 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 digicam roll

Keep in mind what I mentioned about desirous to mass-select and delete fields of pictures however being afraid of unintentionally scrapping a bit of reminiscence that outlined 17-year-old me? Okay, that does make me sound fairly tedious, however God-forbid a woman 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 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 via the app’s fast (and elective) set-up course of, you clearly need to grant swipewipe entry to your Photograph Library. If you’re completed granting permissions, you will be launched to a slightly colourful menu. The menu choices embody issues like on today, 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 evaluate all the images you swiped left on to delete. Then, when you click on “Delete X Pictures” on the backside of the display screen, an official iOS message will seem asking if you wish to permit swipewipe to delete these photos. Choose Delete. Then, it gives you a profitable message outlining the variety of photographs 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 except it actually is life-changing. Whereas swipewipe is completely genius and a beautiful technique to go about each reminiscing and being productive, I do not assume the characteristic is value $10 per week — perhaps monthly, however that is simply my opinion.

That being mentioned, I am dedicated to actually making probably 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 is perhaps loads of time for you, too.

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FAQ

Q: What if I unintentionally 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.