Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

CleanWise is a privacy-first iOS application designed to help you reclaim storage space on your iPhone by intelligently identifying and removing unnecessary photos, videos, and contacts. The app detects exact duplicates, similar photos, screenshots, blurry images, large videos, repeated recordings, and duplicate or empty contacts.

All analysis and processing happens entirely on your device — your media is never uploaded to any server. CleanWise shows you exactly what will be deleted before any action is taken, giving you full control over your cleanup decisions.

CleanWise uses advanced on-device algorithms to analyze your media:

Exact Duplicates: Uses SHA256 cryptographic hashing to identify byte-for-byte identical files.

Similar Photos: Uses Apple's Vision framework with machine learning to detect visually similar images, such as burst photos or multiple takes of the same scene.

Blurry Photos: Analyzes image sharpness using Laplacian variance calculations to identify out-of-focus or motion-blurred images.

Screenshots: Detects screenshots based on photo metadata.

Large Videos: Identifies videos above a configurable size threshold.

Repeated Recordings: Groups videos taken within a short time window with similar durations.

Yes. CleanWise is built with privacy as a core principle:

100% On-Device Processing: All scanning, analysis, and detection happens locally on your iPhone. Your photos, videos, and contacts are never uploaded to any external server.

No Cloud Storage: CleanWise does not store your media in the cloud. Everything stays on your device.

Minimal Analytics: We use privacy-focused analytics solely to understand app usage patterns and improve the user experience. We do not collect or store any of your personal media or content.

Photos and Videos: When you delete photos or videos through CleanWise, they are moved to the "Recently Deleted" album in your iPhone's Photos app — the same location used when you delete photos manually. This is a standard iOS feature that provides a safety net. Items in the Recently Deleted album are automatically and permanently removed by iOS after a limited recovery period (as determined by Apple and your iOS settings).

Contacts: Unlike photos and videos, contacts deleted through CleanWise are permanently and immediately deleted. iOS does not provide a "Recently Deleted" folder for contacts. Once you confirm the deletion of contacts, they cannot be recovered. Please ensure you have a backup of your contacts before deleting them.

Photos and Videos: Yes. Because CleanWise uses the standard iOS deletion process, any photos or videos you delete through the app can be recovered from the "Recently Deleted" album in your Photos app for a limited time period (as determined by Apple and your iOS settings).

To recover deleted photos/videos:
1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone
2. Go to Albums > Recently Deleted
3. Select the items you want to recover
4. Tap "Recover"

Note: After the iOS recovery period expires, or if you manually empty the Recently Deleted album, photos and videos are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Contacts: No. Contacts deleted through CleanWise are permanently deleted immediately and cannot be recovered. iOS does not provide a recovery option for deleted contacts. Always back up your contacts before using the contacts cleanup feature.

CleanWise collects minimal, anonymized analytics data to help us improve the app. This includes general usage patterns such as which features are used and how often scans are performed. We do not:

- Access or store your photos, videos, or contacts
- Track your location
- Sell or share your data with third parties

All analytics are privacy-focused and do not contain any personally identifiable information.

Free Version:
- Full access to scan and view all cleanup categories
- Delete up to 2 items at a time
- Watch a short rewarded ad after each deletion
- Unlimited scans

Premium Version:
- Unlimited deletions with no item limits
- No ads
- Access to cleanup history
- Smart selection features
- Priority support

Premium is available as Monthly ($9.99), Yearly ($19.99), or Lifetime ($29.99) subscriptions.

Free users can delete files from any category, but with a limit of 2 items per deletion. After confirming the deletion, you will be shown an option to upgrade to Premium. If you choose to skip, the deletion will proceed and a short rewarded video ad will play.

This allows free users to clean their device while supporting the continued development of CleanWise. If you prefer an ad-free experience with unlimited deletions, you can upgrade to Premium at any time.

CleanWise can identify and help you remove:

Photos:
- Exact duplicates (identical copies)
- Similar photos (burst shots, multiple takes)
- Screenshots
- Blurry or out-of-focus photos

Videos:
- Large videos (over 100 MB)
- Repeated recordings (similar videos taken close together)

Contacts:
- Duplicate contacts (same phone number or email)
- Empty contacts (no name, phone, or email)

CleanWise uses a smart "Best Shot" algorithm that considers multiple factors to suggest which photo to keep:

- Sharpness: Prefers clearer, more focused images
- Resolution: Prefers higher resolution photos
- Composition: Considers image quality metrics
- Recency: Slightly prefers newer photos
- Favorites: Photos marked as favorites get priority
- Edited: Photos you've edited are protected

You always have the final say — you can override the suggestions and choose exactly which items to keep or delete.

Yes. CleanWise includes a protection system that automatically excludes certain photos from deletion suggestions:

- Favorites: Photos you've marked as favorites in the Photos app
- Edited Photos: Photos you've edited or adjusted
- Photos in Albums: Photos organized into albums you've created

Protected items will still appear in scan results (marked with a lock icon) so you can see them, but they won't be pre-selected for deletion. You can manually select them if you choose.

Yes. All core features of CleanWise work entirely offline, including scanning, analysis, and deletion. The app processes everything on your device without requiring an internet connection.

An internet connection is only needed for:
- Viewing rewarded ads (free users)
- Purchasing or restoring Premium subscriptions
- Sending anonymized analytics data

If you've previously purchased a Premium subscription and need to restore it on a new device or after reinstalling the app:

1. Open CleanWise
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap "Restore Purchases"

Your subscription will be restored automatically if it's still active. Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID used for the original purchase.

CleanWise subscriptions are managed through Apple. To cancel:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Tap your name at the top
3. Tap "Subscriptions"
4. Find CleanWise and tap it
5. Tap "Cancel Subscription"

Your Premium access will continue until the end of your current billing period. Lifetime purchases do not expire and cannot be cancelled.

CleanWise can scan photos stored in iCloud if you have iCloud Photos enabled on your device. The app accesses these photos through the standard iOS Photos framework — the same way you view them in the Photos app.

Important: CleanWise does not upload anything to iCloud. It only reads from your photo library to analyze and identify items for cleanup. Any photos you delete are removed from your iCloud library as well (following standard iOS behavior).

CleanWise requires permission to access your photos and contacts in order to scan and analyze them for duplicates and unnecessary items. Without this access, the app cannot perform its core function.

Photo Access: Required to scan for duplicate, similar, blurry photos, screenshots, and videos.

Contacts Access: Required only if you want to use the contacts cleanup feature to find duplicate or empty contacts.

Both permissions are optional — you can use CleanWise for photos only without granting contacts access. Your data is never uploaded or shared.

If you have questions, issues, or feedback, we're here to help. Reach out to our support team and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Contact Support

apps4ios.88@gmail.com

This FAQ is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For full legal terms, data handling policies, and user responsibilities, please refer to our official Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

By using CleanWise, you acknowledge that the app is provided "as is" and that its developers are not responsible for any data loss resulting from user actions, including the permanent deletion of items from the Recently Deleted album. Always review items carefully before confirming deletion.