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Storage Sweeper Support

Overview

Storage Sweeper helps you reclaim storage space on your iPhone by tackling the two biggest space consumers: similar photos and large videos.

What Storage Sweeper does:

  • Identifies and helps you delete duplicate or similar photos
  • Compresses large videos while maintaining quality
  • Processes everything locally on your device for complete privacy
  • Provides clear statistics on space saved

Free vs Premium:

  • Free Tier: 3 photo scan sessions + 3 video compressions (permanent quota)
  • Premium: Unlimited photo cleanup + unlimited video compression

All features work entirely on your device. Your photos and videos never leave your iPhone.

Getting Started

First Launch

  1. Open Storage Sweeper
  2. Grant photo library access when prompted (required for core functionality)
  3. Choose between photo cleanup or video compression from the home screen

Photo Cleanup Flow

  1. Tap "Similar Photos" card on the home screen
  2. Select a date range to scan (or scan entire library)
  3. Wait for the app to analyze your photos
  4. Review groups of similar photos
  5. Confirm which photos to keep or delete
  6. Deleted photos move to "Recently Deleted" album (recoverable for 30 days)

Video Compression Flow

  1. Tap "Video Compression" card on the home screen
  2. Browse videos above your configured size threshold
  3. Select a video to compress
  4. Choose quality preset (High Quality, Balanced, or Small Size)
  5. Preview the compressed result before saving
  6. Replace original or keep both versions

Photo Library Permission

Why We Need Access

Storage Sweeper requires photo library access to:

  • Scan your photos for duplicates and similarities
  • Analyze video file sizes and compression potential
  • Delete selected photos safely
  • Save compressed videos back to your library

What We Do With Access

  • All processing happens on your device using Apple's built-in frameworks
  • Photos and videos are never uploaded to external servers
  • We never store copies of your media outside your device
  • Analysis uses iOS Photos, AVFoundation, and Vision frameworks locally

How to Manage Permissions

You control photo access at any time:

iOS Settings Method:

  1. Open Settings app
  2. Go to Privacy & Security > Photos
  3. Find Storage Sweeper
  4. Choose Full Access, Limited Access, or None

In-App Method:

  1. Open Storage Sweeper
  2. Go to Settings tab
  3. Tap "Photo Access" section
  4. Tap "Manage Access" to open iOS Settings

Note: Limited access restricts the app to selected photos only. Full access is recommended for complete functionality.

Photo Cleanup

How Similar Photo Detection Works

Storage Sweeper uses on-device AI to:

  • Generate visual fingerprints of each photo
  • Compare photos for visual similarity
  • Group photos that look alike
  • Automatically suggest the best quality photo to keep

What Gets Detected

  • Duplicate photos (exact copies)
  • Similar photos (slight variations in lighting, angle, or crop)
  • Burst photo sequences
  • Screenshots (grouped separately)

Review Before Deleting

  • Each group shows thumbnails of similar photos
  • Tap any group to view full-screen comparison
  • Swipe between photos to compare details
  • Use pinch-to-zoom for closer inspection
  • Change which photo to keep with "Keep" / "Delete" buttons

Safe Deletion

  • Deleted photos move to iOS "Recently Deleted" album
  • Photos remain recoverable for 30 days
  • To permanently delete: Open Photos app > Albums > Recently Deleted > Delete All
  • To recover: Open Recently Deleted album > Select photos > Recover

Progressive Scanning (Large Libraries)

For libraries with 5,000+ photos:

  • Results appear as they're found
  • You can review and delete while scanning continues
  • Progress bar shows scan completion percentage

Video Compression

How It Works

Storage Sweeper compresses videos using Apple's AVFoundation framework:

  • Reduces file size while preserving visual quality
  • Keeps original video metadata (date, location, favorite status)
  • Processes entirely on your device

Quality Presets

  • High Quality: Minimal compression (~30% reduction), best for archival
  • Balanced: Moderate compression (~60% reduction), recommended for most users
  • Small Size: Maximum compression (~80% reduction), great for sharing

Before & After Comparison

Before saving:

  • View side-by-side comparison of original vs compressed
  • See file size reduction and percentage saved
  • Check video resolution, bitrate, and codec information
  • Play both versions to verify quality

What Happens to Originals

Choose one of two options:

  • Replace original: Original moves to Recently Deleted (recoverable for 30 days)
  • Keep both: Save compressed version as new file, original stays untouched

Privacy & Analytics

Your Photos & Videos Stay Private

  • 100% on-device processing: All analysis happens locally using iOS frameworks
  • No uploads: Photos and videos never leave your device
  • No servers: We don't maintain servers that store your media
  • No tracking: We don't track what photos or videos you have

What We Collect (Anonymous Usage Data)

We use Firebase Analytics to understand how the app is used:

  • Which features are used most often
  • App crashes and errors (to fix bugs)
  • Device information (iOS version, device model)
  • Session duration and frequency

What We Do NOT Collect

  • Photos or videos
  • Photo metadata (location, date, camera info)
  • Personal identifiers (name, email, phone)
  • Precise location data
  • Advertising identifiers

Analytics Purpose

Analytics help us:

  • Identify and fix crashes
  • Improve feature usability
  • Prioritize which features to develop next

Analytics is NOT used for:

  • Advertising
  • Selling data to third parties
  • Tracking you across apps or websites

How to Opt Out of Analytics

iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Disable "Share iPhone Analytics"

Learn More

Full privacy details: Privacy Policy

Subscription & Billing

Free Tier

  • 3 photo scan sessions (permanent quota, no monthly reset)
  • 3 video compressions (permanent quota, no monthly reset)
  • Full access to all features during free usage
  • No credit card required

Premium Subscription Plans

  • Quarterly: $1.99 every 3 months
  • Annual: $4.99 per year (Best Value - save 50%)

Premium Benefits

  • Unlimited photo scanning and cleanup
  • Unlimited video compression
  • No quota limits or restrictions
  • Family Sharing (up to 5 family members)
  • Priority access to new features

How Subscriptions Work

  • Payment charged to your Apple ID when you confirm purchase
  • Subscription renews automatically unless canceled 24 hours before period ends
  • Manage or cancel anytime in iOS Settings (see below)
  • No refunds for partial subscription periods

How to Cancel Subscription

Via iOS Settings:

  1. Open Settings app
  2. Tap your name at the top
  3. Tap Subscriptions
  4. Find Storage Sweeper
  5. Tap Cancel Subscription

Via App Store:

  1. Open App Store app
  2. Tap your profile icon (top right)
  3. Tap Subscriptions
  4. Find Storage Sweeper
  5. Tap Cancel Subscription

Important: Canceling stops future billing but you keep access until the current period ends.

Restore Purchases

If you subscribed on another device:

  1. Open Storage Sweeper
  2. Go to Settings tab
  3. Scroll to Account section
  4. Tap "Restore Purchases"

Family Sharing

Premium subscriptions support Family Sharing:

  • Share with up to 5 family members
  • Each family member gets full premium access
  • Managed through iOS Family Sharing settings

Troubleshooting

App Won't Scan Photos

Possible causes:

  • Limited photo access selected
  • Photo library permission denied

Solutions:

  1. Check photo permissions in Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > Storage Sweeper
  2. Select "Full Access" for best results
  3. Restart the app

No Similar Photos Found

Possible reasons:

  • Your library may not have many duplicates or similar photos
  • Date range selected is too narrow
  • Photos are visually too different

Try this:

  • Expand the date range to scan more photos
  • Check if you have burst photos or screenshots

Video Compression Fails

Common issues:

  • Not enough temporary storage space
  • Video file is corrupted
  • Video format not supported

Solutions:

  1. Free up storage space on your device (need at least 2x the video size available)
  2. Try a different quality preset
  3. Ensure the video plays in iOS Photos app

App Crashes During Scan

For large photo libraries (10,000+ photos):

  • Close other apps to free up memory
  • Restart your iPhone
  • Scan smaller date ranges instead of entire library

Subscription Not Working After Purchase

Steps to resolve:

  1. Open Storage Sweeper > Settings
  2. Tap "Restore Purchases"
  3. Wait for confirmation
  4. Restart the app if needed

Still not working?

  • Verify purchase in Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions
  • Contact support (see below)

Videos Appear Low Quality After Compression

This is expected for:

  • "Small Size" preset (maximum compression)
  • Videos that were already heavily compressed

Try this:

  • Use "High Quality" or "Balanced" preset instead
  • Preview before saving to verify quality
  • Keep both versions if unsure

Contact Support

Get Help

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide, we're here to help.

Email: sg.van2025@gmail.com

When contacting support, please include:

  • iOS version (Settings > General > About > Software Version)
  • Storage Sweeper app version (Settings > About in app)
  • Description of the issue
  • Screenshots if applicable

Response time: We typically respond within 1-3 business days.

Feature Requests

We welcome your feedback and feature suggestions! Email us at the address above with "Feature Request" in the subject line.

Report a Bug

Found a bug? Help us fix it:

  1. Email sg.van2025@gmail.com
  2. Include steps to reproduce the issue
  3. Attach screenshots or screen recordings if possible

Thank you for using Storage Sweeper!

We're committed to helping you manage iPhone storage efficiently and privately.