100% FREE Cleaner Apps for iPhone & iPad
Finding the right cleaner app that is 100% free is quite rare and there are a lot of them that are not able to do its job. The truth is, most of them cost a lot and are flooded with advertisements and pop-ups which are very annoying. That’s why I spent some time browsing the App Store to find the cleaner apps that are 100% free, no ads and can do it’s function properly.
This review is my honest take on the cleaner apps that I found that actually work and will cost you nothing so you won’t have to waste your time installing the wrong cleaner apps that cost a lot and are bombarded with ads.
Here are some of the cleaner apps I found that are 100% free, no ads and no in-app purchases. Let’s start with:
- Phone Cleaner by Nektony LLC
First off, Phone Cleaner is pretty straightforward, it only manages photos and videos. So if you’re hoping to clean up other things like duplicate contacts, junks, or files, this app may not be for you. Despite this, it does a goodjob with what it offers. One feature that I like is that it can detect the largest photos and videos in your gallery. This is very helpful if you want to quickly get rid of the photos and videos that are taking a lot of space in your phone storage.
However, one of the app’s issues is that you have to manually select photos and videos to delete. This means that you need to spend time looking through your gallery yourself. If you have thousands of photos like I do, the process will be very time consuming. It would be nice if the app could suggest blurry photos, duplicates, or screenshots just like the features of other apps.
Overall, Phone Cleaner is a very simple cleaning tool that does its job. If you’re fine with the manual work, it’s useful. But if you’re looking for something more automated, you might want to look for other options.
Pros:
- Detects the largest photo and video files in your gallery.
- Easy to use and a very simple interface.
Cons:
- Limited to photos and videos only.
- Requires manual selection of unwanted files, which can be time-consuming.
Would I recommend it? If you just want a quick way to get rid of big files and it’s worth a try, but if you need something more advanced and automated, you’ll probably want to keep looking.
2. Photo Cleaner by OCO Inc.
I gave Photo Cleaner a try to help organize my photos and videos, and it’s a pretty straightforward tool if that’s all you’re looking to clean up. Keep in mind that this app is only for photos and videos — so if you’re looking for an app to clean up your contacts, apps, or other files, this won’t do the job.
It really does its job properly. Photo Cleaner can detect blurry photos, similar photos, and duplicate photos and videos, which was really helpful for cleaning up storage on my phone. It also supports HEIF formatting, a feature that lets you save storage without losing the quality of your pictures. Additionally, it has an option that lets you erase photo location data, which adds an extra layer of privacy if you don’t want location details pictures’ data.
While it’s useful for cleaning up your media, the app is limited to that, so if you need something that can handle other junk files, this cleaner app may not be for you.
Pros:
- Detects blurry, similar, and duplicate photos and videos.
- HEIF formatting to save space.
- Erases photo location data for privacy.
- Simple, easy-to-use interface.
Cons:
- Limited to photos and videos only.
If all you need is a tool to clean up and optimize your photos and videos, Photo Cleaner is a good choice. But, it’s not an all-in-one cleaner for everything else on your device.
3. Fast Clean by Surging River Technology Co.
The next app is Fast Clean, which helps you optimize not just photos and videos, but also contacts, calendars, and even display your phone’s system information like CPU usage and storage. It’s a solid cleaner option for those looking for more than just a photo cleanup tool.
One of the standout features of Fast Clean is its ability to manage photos, videos, contacts, and even calendars, which gives it a broader scope compared to many cleaner apps that focus only on photos and videos. It also displays real-time data like CPU usage, memory footprint, and remaining storage, so you can see your device’s status. Another feature is the battery assistant feature, which gives you information like battery percentage, and how long it will approximately last.
Additionally, the Fast Clean app has a hidden contacts and secret album feature, which lets you keep private contacts and photos hidden where no one can accidentally see them. It’s a nice feature if you’re looking for some extra privacy, but to be honest, it feels more like a bonus feature rather than something you’d rely on every day. Although It’s useful to have, it’s not really the main reason you’d download the app in the first place.
However, there are a couple of downsides. If you have a lot of photos and videos, the app can take a long time to scan through everything. It’s not a big deal, but it can get pretty annoying, especially if you’re just trying to clean up your phone and end up waiting longer than you expected.
The positive side is, the app is easy to use because of its straightforward and simple UI. You can easily navigate through the app without any problems.
Pros:
- Manages photos, videos, contacts, and calendars.
- Displays useful system data like CPU usage and storage.
- Battery assistant feature helps optimize battery life.
- Includes secret album and secret contacts for added privacy.
- Simple, easy-to-use UI design.
Cons:
- Scanning photos and videos can be a bit slow.
- Some features, like the secret album, are nice but not essential for everyone.
4. Quick Scan by ByFish
The next app I tried is Quick Scan. A cleaner app that can manage and optimize photos, videos and calendar. But it has its ups and downs.
It’s nice that it can optimize photos, videos, and calendar files all in one place. It’s a good choice if you want to manage not just your media but also your calendar events, which is a nice feature that many other cleaner apps don’t have.
One problem is that the scan process is slow. It will take a bit longer than other apps especially if you have a lot of media in your gallery. In terms of the app design, the user interface is sleek and colorful.
The app design is noticeably different from the other apps out there, but I find it user-friendly and you won’t find it hard to figure out where everything is.
Another issue with Quick Scan is that the app does crash occasionally, which is a problem when you’re in the middle of a scan. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s still something that the devs should get fixed.
Pros:
- Manages and optimizes photos, videos, and calendar events.
- The UI is unique but easy to use.
Cons:
- Scanning can be slow, especially with a lot of photos.
- The app crashes from time to time.
Overall, Quick Scan has a lot of potential, especially if you need help organizing both your gallery and calendar. But the slow scan time and app crashes are definitely things you need to consider before using this.
Final Thoughts
After trying out these cleaner apps, I found that while it’s rare to find a 100% free option without ads or in-app purchases, there are still a few good ones out there — even if none of them are perfect. Phone Cleaner is super simple and gets the job done when it comes to photos and videos, especially with its ability to detect the largest files. The downside is you have to manually go through everything, which can take forever if your gallery is huge. Photo Cleaner was a step up because it can spot blurry, similar, and duplicate photos and videos. Plus, the HEIF formatting and location data removal are nice touches. Still, it’s only for photos and videos, so it’s pretty limited.
If you’re looking for something a bit more well-rounded, Fast Clean might be the way to go. It handles photos, videos, contacts, and calendars, and even gives you system info like CPU usage and battery optimization. The only catch is that it can be slow when scanning large libraries. Then there’s Quick Scan, which adds calendar management on top of media cleanup and has a cool, futuristic design that’s easy to use. But the app can be painfully slow at times, and the occasional crashes don’t help.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to what you need. If you just want to clean up photos and videos, Photo Cleaner is a great option. If you need something more comprehensive, Fast Clean or Quick Scan might be worth a shot — just be patient with the scanning times. And if all you care about is quickly deleting big files, Phone Cleaner works fine. They may not be perfect, but they’re free, ad-free, and functional. You can give them a try and see which one fits your needs best.
