You can sort and delete the photos on your Mac or Windows PC straight from your phone. With Photos Cleanup, you install a free app on your computer, scan a code with your phone, and swipe through your photos from the couch. Your photos stay on your computer the whole time.
Why sort from your phone instead of at your desk
Sorting thousands of photos at a desk is a chore. You sit still, click, drag, and scroll. It feels like work, so most people put it off for years.
Your phone suits the job better:
- One photo at a time. You see a single big photo, decide, and move on.
- Swipes are quick. A swipe is faster than a click and a drag.
- You can sit anywhere. The couch, the kitchen table, or your bed all work.
- Short sessions add up. A few minutes here and there still move the pile.
Who this is for
It suits anyone with a big photo folder they keep meaning to sort. That might be years of vacation photos, a folder full of downloaded pictures, or a pile of screenshots. If you can swipe on a phone, you can use it. You do not need to learn special software or move your photos anywhere first.
Before you start
You need four things:
- A Mac or a Windows PC with photos in a regular folder
- An iPhone, an iPad, or an Android phone
- Both devices on the same home Wi-Fi
- Your computer awake, with the app open
Set it up in 3 steps
- Install the free computer app and choose a photo folder. Get it from the download page. Open it and pick the folder with the photos you want to sort. A QR code appears on the screen.
- Install the Photos Cleanup phone app. It runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
- Scan the QR code with the phone app. Your phone connects to your computer over your home Wi-Fi. The connection is encrypted. Your photos show up on the phone, ready to sort.
Your photos stay on your computer. They never pass through our servers.
How sorting works
The phone shows one photo at a time. You use simple moves:
- Swipe right to keep the photo.
- Swipe left to trash it.
- Swipe up to move it to a folder.
- Press and hold to open a ring of up to 7 folders. Slide to one and let go.
- Double-tap to zoom in.
Videos play right in the app, so you can decide without leaving the screen. If you swipe the wrong way, tap Undo and the last photo comes back.
You choose what each swipe does. Want swipe up to trash instead? Set it that way. When you pick a folder, you can also create a new subfolder right from your phone.
Jump to the piles that matter
You do not have to start at the first photo. Photos Cleanup lets you jump straight to:
- Screenshots, which are usually the easiest to clear
- Big videos, with the biggest first, so you free up the most space fast
- Any single month, so you can sort one stretch of your life at a time
Small wins keep you going. Clear the screenshots first, then take a month at a time.
A simple first session
Not sure where to begin? Try this plan on your first evening:
- Open the Screenshots pile and swipe left on the ones you do not need.
- Open Big videos and check the biggest ones first. Keep the good ones and trash the rest.
- Pick one month and sort it into folders with a swipe up or a press and hold.
Stop whenever you like and pick up where you left off later.
If your phone cannot find your computer
Most connection problems have a simple cause. Check these in order:
- Your phone and computer are on the same home Wi-Fi.
- Your computer is awake and not asleep.
- The Photos Cleanup app is open on the computer.
- The QR code on the screen is still showing. Scan it again if you need to.
Other ways people try this
There are two common workarounds, and both work in a basic way.
Remote desktop apps show your computer screen on your phone. You then click and drag tiny windows with your finger. It is the same desk chore on a smaller screen.
Copying everything to your phone also works. But thousands of photos take time and storage, and you still have to bring your choices back to the computer by hand.
Photos Cleanup is built for this one job. You swipe, and your computer does the rest.
What it costs
The computer app is free. The phone app is free for 1,000 photos per month, with ads. Pro, which you buy inside the phone app, gives you unlimited photos and no ads.
Ready to try it
Pick your computer and follow the matching guide:
Each guide starts with the built-in way, so you can compare it with the swipe way before you decide.