Report updated Apr 14, 2026

Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage. is an established utilities app that is a paid app. With a 4.6/5 rating from 83 reviews, it shows polarized user reception.

What Is Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage.?

Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage is a utility app providing photo, video, and contact organization. It targets iOS users seeking to reclaim storage space through a one-time $6.99 purchase rather than a subscription. While it features iCloud cleanup and iOS 14 widgets, the app has not been updated since January 2021, positioning it as a legacy tool in a highly competitive, high-velocity market.

Current Momentum

v1.0.1 · 63mo ago

Zombie

No significant feature updates have been released since the initial launch in January 2021.

AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Active Nemesis

Cleanup: Phone Storage Cleaner

Cleanup: Phone Storage Cleaner

By DEEP FLOW SOFTWARE SERVICES

Other Rivals

Cleaner Kit - Clean Up Storage
CleanMy®Phone: Cleanup Storage
Phone Cleaner for iPhone, iPad
Cleanfox - Email Cleaner
Slidebox: Photo Cleaner App
Easy Cleaner.
Hyper Cleaner: Clean Up Photos
Photo Cleaner: Swipewipe

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

No ranking data

Main Category

UtilitiesGrossing
AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Recent User Mood 🇺🇸

Gathering signals...

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?

Loading...

What Are The Key Features?

Photo & Video CleanupStandard

Analyzes and removes similar photos and duplicate videos to reclaim storage space.

Contact ManagementStandard

Identifies and helps manage duplicate or incomplete contact entries.

iOS 14 Photo WidgetsDifferentiator

Provides home screen widgets specifically for photo management.

iCloud CleanupDifferentiator

Extends cleaning capabilities to cloud-stored files to optimize storage.

Who is it for & how much does it cost?

Target Audience

iPhone users struggling with limited storage space who need a simple, automated solution to organize their media library and contacts without recurring fees.

Pricing

Paid
  • One-time purchase at $6.99

The app uses a premium upfront model, which is a significant differentiator in a category dominated by weekly or monthly subscriptions.

What do users think recently?

Analysis in progress, available soon

What is the competitive landscape for Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage.?

How's The Utilities Market?

Market outlook for this category

Available very soon

The rivals identified

The Nemesis

  1. -

    Massive user base with over 630k ratings compared to the target's 83

  2. -

    Higher user satisfaction rating (4.67) than the target app (4.64)

Contenders

-

Extremely high development velocity with 15 updates in 6 months vs 0 for the target since 2021

-

Long-standing market presence since 2017 with over 337k reviews

-

Strong brand backing from MacPaw, a specialist in cleaning software

-

Active maintenance with a release in the last 6 months

-

Directly targets the same 'Phone Cleaner' keywords and utility use case

-

Updated as recently as November 2025, whereas target has been stagnant since 2021

Peers

-

Specializes in email cleaning and unsubscribing rather than photo/video removal

-

High user sentiment with a 4.79 rating across 25,583 reviews

-

Uses a gesture-based 'swipe' interface for photo organization

-

Boasts the highest rating in the pool (4.81) across 15,762 reviews

-

One of the oldest apps in the space (released 2012) with sustained high ratings

-

Categorized under Productivity, suggesting a broader organizational focus

-

Focuses specifically on photo cleaning within the Utilities category

-

Maintains a rating (4.63) nearly identical to the target app but with 100x the review volume

New Kids on the Block

Avast Cleanup – Phone Cleaner

Avast Cleanup – Phone Cleaner

4.6 (1.8K)

AVAST Software s.r.o

A major security brand entering the space with a 2024 release and rapid growth to 1,814 ratings.

The outtake for Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage.

SWOT Analysis

Core Strengths

  • One-time purchase model ($6.99) avoids subscription fatigue
  • High average rating (4.64)
  • Includes iCloud-specific cleanup features

Critical Frictions

  • Stagnant development (last updated Jan 2021)
  • Low social proof (83 ratings vs 630k for market leader)
  • Dated differentiators (iOS 14 widgets)

Growth Levers

  • Capturing users looking for non-subscription utility alternatives
  • Modernizing UI with gesture-based cleaning mechanics

Market Threats

  • High-velocity competitors like Cleaner Kit (15 updates in 6 months)
  • Brand-backed entries like Avast Cleanup (released 2024)
  • Technical obsolescence due to 3+ years of inactivity

What are the next best moves?

high

Modernize technical stack for iOS 17/18 compatibility

The app has not been updated since Jan 2021 (v1.0.1), creating a high risk of churn due to OS-level bugs or performance degradation on newer devices.

medium

Implement gesture-based 'swipe to clean' mechanics

Competitors like Slidebox (4.81 rating) and Swipewipe (74k ratings) have established gesture-based organization as the market standard.

high

Refresh marketing copy to focus on 'No Subscription' value

The $6.99 one-time fee is a major competitive advantage over the Nemesis (Cleanup) and Contenders, but it is not prominently leveraged against their subscription models.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Gesture-based 'swipe' interface (available in Slidebox and Swipewipe)
  • High update frequency/active maintenance (available in Cleaner Kit - 15 updates in 6 months)
  • Brand-backed security trust (available in Avast Cleanup)
  • Recent keyword optimization (available in Phone Cleaner for iPhone - updated Nov 2025)

Key Takeaways

Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage is a legacy utility that is currently surviving on its one-time purchase model and a stable initial build. However, with zero updates in over three years and the entry of high-velocity competitors like Cleaner Kit and Avast, the app is at high risk of total displacement unless it undergoes a technical and UX refresh.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

Last updated Jan 2021 — the app is in maintenance mode with no active feature investment for 3+ years.

Competitor 'Cleaner Kit' has 15 updates in 6 months — extreme development velocity gap.

Maintains 4.64 rating — core utility remains functional for now despite lack of updates.

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

No publisher influence. No third-party bias. Built with objectivity in mind to serve the builder community.

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Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Phone Cleaner: Clean Storage. Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 14, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/phone-cleaner-clean-storage

Agent Markdown (.md)·

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