AI Cleaner: Clean UP Storage – my experience vs a better option
I installed AI Cleaner: Clean UP Storage because I was low on space and tired of doing manual cleanup. Looked decent at first glance, but it went downhill pretty fast for me.
Here is what happened.
I ran a full scan. It showed a bunch of junk, duplicates, “similar” photos, large files, the usual. The problem started when I tried to clear anything useful. Every second tap turned into some “upgrade” wall. I’d tap delete, it would throw a pay screen. Back out, try something else, same story. It felt like the main function was to sell a subscription, not to clean storage.
The so‑called AI detection of duplicates was also off. It sometimes grouped:
• Slightly different versions of the same scene
• Photos with different people but similar backgrounds
• Edits with the original, without making it clear which one was which
I had to double check every group. If you’re trying to clear hundreds of images, that gets old fast and you risk deleting stuff you want to keep.
Here is a screenshot of real reviews from the store if you want to see others’ experience, not only mine:
What I switched to instead
After getting annoyed with AI Cleaner, I went hunting for something that did not feel like a trap.
I ended up trying Clever Cleaner on iOS:
First surprise, it works without throwing up a paywall every few seconds. No random ads in the middle of deletion either, at least in my use.
Here is what it did better for me:
• It found duplicate and similar photos in a way that made sense
• It detected old screenshots I forgot about
• It highlighted large files that were obviously clogging storage
The speed was fine. It scanned my photo library quicker than AI Cleaner on the same phone. The UI is simple, nothing fancy, but it made it easy to review what I was deleting.
The thing I paid the most attention to was privacy. According to their description and behavior on my device, all processing stays on the phone. No uploads, no account creation, no weird “cloud scan” step. For photo cleanup tools, I prefer that approach because I do not want random servers seeing my gallery.
Clever Cleaner felt less naggy, more straightforward. I spent more time deleting clutter and less time closing popups.
If you want more info
There is a video overview here if you prefer watching instead of reading:
Their homepage with more details:
App Store link again:
Extra reading if you are on iPhone and worried about cleaners
If you want a broader take on iPhone cleaner apps and some warnings about risky ones, this Reddit thread helped me sort through the noise:
My bottom line after trying both: I uninstalled AI Cleaner and kept Clever Cleaner. If you are going to try a storage cleaner, I would start with Clever Cleaner and skip the heavy upsell stuff.