01Frequently asked questions
How do the two Live Photo tools differ?
Live Photo to still keeps the image without motion or sound. Video to Live Photo lets you choose a clip and key frame to create a new Live Photo. After saving, follow the app’s prompt to choose whether to delete the source video.
Why can’t I connect Gmail?
Check that your network can reach Google, then sign in again and allow Gmail access. Only Gmail is currently supported. You can disconnect and reconnect; follow any authorization prompts shown in the app.
How do I restore PRO on a new iPhone?
Use the Apple Account that made the purchase, then tap Restore Purchases in Clean Duo Settings. Check that your subscription is still active. Restoring a purchase does not charge you again.
Which permissions does Clean Duo need?
Photo access is needed to organize your library. Contacts and calendar access are requested when you use those features. You can change access in iPhone Settings. With limited photo access, only the photos you allow can be organized.
Are my photos deleted automatically?
Nothing is deleted without your confirmation. You can review the suggested selection. Swiping left only marks a photo for deletion; carrying out the deletion also requires confirmation in the system prompt.
Can I recover deleted photos?
You can usually restore them from Recently Deleted in the Photos app, within the period shown by iOS. Clean Duo cannot recover permanently deleted items. Storage may not be fully released until Recently Deleted is cleared.
Will compression affect quality?
Compression balances quality and file size. Preview and choose an appropriate level. Replacing an original creates a new copy and deletes the original. Files stored only in iCloud are not downloaded for compression. Converting Live Photos removes motion and sound.
Does mail cleanup work entirely on my device?
Photo analysis and media processing run on your device. Gmail requires Google sign-in, mail permission and a network connection. The app talks directly to Google. Unsubscribe may also contact the sender’s service; see the privacy policy for details.
Can I recover mail after cleanup?
Cleanup moves messages to Gmail Trash. Restore them in Gmail within the period it shows. Clean Duo cannot recover permanently deleted mail. Mailbox cleanup is not equivalent to freeing the same amount of iPhone storage.
What is the difference between free and PRO?
The current version gives each metered feature 12 free uses per local day. Photo deletion, compression, Live Photo-to-still conversion, calendar deletion and Private Space imports count per item. Video-to-Live-Photo creation counts each saved Live Photo. Mail counts cleanup or unsubscribe actions, not individual messages in a batch. PRO removes these allowances; follow the limits shown in the app.
02Getting started & permissions
Open Clean Up and grant photo access when prompted. After scanning, open a category, review and adjust the selection, then confirm deletion. The first scan depends on the size of your library.
Limited access means only the photos you allow can be organized. Change access in iPhone Settings under Clean Duo or photo privacy settings. Contacts and calendar permissions are requested separately when you use those features.
The five tabs are Clean, Compress, Contacts, Mail and More. More includes swipe cleanup, events, Private Space and Settings. Appearance can be light, dark or follow the system.
03Deletion, recovery & available storage
Swiping left only adds a photo to your pending list. You can undo the choice or keep it from that list. Final deletion requires confirmation.
Recently Deleted in Apple Photos usually keeps deleted items for 30 days; follow the period shown by iOS. You can recover them there. Clean Duo cannot retrieve permanently deleted files. Check your backup before clearing this album.
With iCloud Photos, deletion can sync to other devices using the same Apple Account. iOS calculates available space; items in Recently Deleted may still take up storage.
04Compression & Live Photo conversion
Open Compress, select locally available photos or videos, and review the quality level and preview. Savings are estimates and vary with the content and selected quality.
Replacing originals creates compressed copies and deletes originals after system confirmation. Originals stored only in iCloud are not downloaded for compression. Live Photos, edited media and unsupported formats may be excluded from the ordinary compression list.
Use the separate Live Photo conversion tool to keep a still image without motion or sound. Make sure you no longer need the moving part before converting.
Video to Live Photo: choose a video from the Video → Live Photo entry in Compress, adjust the clip, key frame and sound, then generate, preview and save to Photos. This creates a new Live Photo. After saving, you can choose whether to delete the source video. Opening an iCloud-only source may require a network download.
05Gmail sign-in, cleanup & unsubscribe
Open Mail, sign in with Google and allow Gmail access. Gmail is currently the only supported provider. Sign-in and mailbox operations need a network that can reach Google. For connection errors, check the network and retry. If mail permission was not granted, follow the app’s prompt to authorize it.
Review Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums and Spam. Filters let you choose message age, read or unread status, whether starred messages are included, and protected keywords. Categories can include archived messages, so check the scope and selection before acting.
Cleanup moves mail to Gmail Trash rather than immediately deleting it permanently. Recover mistakes in Gmail Trash. Google normally permanently deletes these messages after 30 days; emptying Trash earlier also deletes them permanently. Follow the current Gmail display. Mailbox cleanup does not guarantee equivalent phone storage savings.
Review senders in subscription management and request to unsubscribe. The app may send a request, send an unsubscribe email on your behalf, or open a page for you to finish. Some senders do not offer a usable method; sending a request does not guarantee mail stops immediately. Unsubscribe settings can also move the sender’s old messages to Trash, keeping starred messages.
Sign out from the mail page menu to erase that account’s local mail cache and attempt to revoke Google access. You can also remove Clean Duo access directly in your Google Account connections.
06Contacts & calendar
In Contacts, review all, duplicate and incomplete entries. Merge individual groups or all duplicates. The app backs up before merging or ordinary deletion; you can also create a manual backup or restore a saved one from Backups. Restoration writes to system Contacts, so review the content first.
Browse ended calendar events by year and check your selection before deleting. For recurring events, follow the specific prompt in the app. Changes to contacts and calendars may sync through your system account services.
07Private Space & your PIN
Import photos, videos and contacts into Private Space and restrict access with a PIN. Files stay in the app’s device storage and use iOS file protection. This is not a separate cloud backup service.
If you forget your PIN, use the owner verification flow provided in the app. Keep access to your device passcode and suitable backups. Uninstalling the app or losing your device may cause local content to be lost. Move important content back before uninstalling.
The private browser uses temporary website storage. Visited websites still receive network requests and your IP address; temporary browsing does not make you anonymous online.
08Free allowances, PRO & restoring purchases
The current version gives each metered feature 12 free uses per local day. Photo deletion, compression, Live Photo-to-still conversion, calendar deletion and Private Space imports count per item. Video-to-Live-Photo creation counts each saved Live Photo. Mail counts cleanup or unsubscribe actions, not individual messages in a batch. PRO removes these allowances; follow the limits shown in the app.
PRO offers annual and weekly auto-renewing subscriptions. See the in-app purchase screen for prices and trial eligibility. Use the original Apple Account and choose Restore Purchases in Settings to restore available access.
To cancel, open iPhone Settings → your Apple Account → Subscriptions → Clean Duo. Uninstalling does not cancel a subscription. If you do not want a trial to become paid, cancel at least 24 hours before it ends.
09Contact Clean Duo
If you still need help, send the app version, iOS version, steps to reproduce the issue and a screenshot if useful. Hide private photos or contact details before sending. We will never ask for your device passcode or PIN.