This satisfying app saved my camera 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 onerous drive, I have been retaining 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 dangerous 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 assorted memes, college assignments, and different junk that is simply taking over treasured 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 useful sufficient to maintain. So, wanting spending hours upon hours manually deleting particular person footage, I discovered an answer.

I downloaded swipewipe

There really is an app for the whole lot, 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 and marketing — take that, TikTok store.

However because of the extremely acute focusing on that adverts use these days, they know precisely what individuals are searching 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 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 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 digicam roll. Now, sitting right here in 2025, I knew one thing needed to be achieved 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 in your digicam roll

Bear in mind what I stated about desirous to mass-select and delete fields of pictures however being afraid of unintentionally scrapping just a little 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 really fairly enjoyable — arguably extra so than the few courting app experiences I’ve had. I positively 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 may be launched to a moderately colourful menu. The menu choices embody issues like on this present day, Recents, and an abundance of explicit months and years that can assist you slim down explicit 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 overview 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 enable swipewipe to delete these footage. Choose Delete. Then, it provides 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 really is life-changing. Whereas swipewipe is completely genius and a stunning technique to go about each reminiscing and being productive, I do not assume the function is value $10 per week — perhaps per 30 days, however that is simply my opinion.

That being stated, 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 is likely to be loads of time for you, too.

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FAQ

Q: What if I unintentionally swipe left on a photograph I wish 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.