Roundup · updated August 2026

Gemini Photos alternatives. What actually happened, and what to use now.

Searches for 'Gemini Photos' now land on an app called CleanMy®Phone, and the confusion is understandable. Here's the short history, what it means for old subscriptions, and the five apps worth considering in 2026 depending on what you liked about Gemini.

Facts below come from MacPaw's own announcement and knowledge base plus current App Store listings, checked August 18, 2026. One of the alternatives (SwipePhotos) is our app.

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The short answer

Gemini Photos wasn't deleted; MacPaw renamed it to CleanMyPhone in March 2024 on the same App Store listing, migrated everyone automatically, and kept old subscribers on their old price. If you just want Gemini's successor, it's already on your phone under the new name. If the new multi-tool direction isn't what you signed up for, the real alternatives split by philosophy: SwipePhotos for review-first cleaning across iPhone, iPad, and Mac; Clever Cleaner for free; Slidebox for album sorting; and Gemini 2 on the Mac if what you actually miss is MacPaw's duplicate finder, which still exists there.

SwipePhotos is our app, so read this the way you’d read any vendor comparison: we’ve kept every factual claim checkable and noted where the alternatives is the better pick. Facts checked against official sites and App Store listings, August 2026.

The lineup

Every option worth knowing, including the free ones.

01

CleanMyPhone (the official successor)

iPhone, iPad (iOS 17+) · $7.99/month or $36.99/year (US store, Aug 2026); legacy Gemini subscribers keep their old price

Best for: staying in the MacPaw ecosystem with zero migration effort

This IS Gemini Photos, renamed and expanded: same App Store listing, now with AI decluttering (duplicates, similars, blur, screenshots), organization tools, contact merge, and email cleanup. MacPaw migrated Gemini users automatically, and its knowledge base says active Gemini-era subscriptions keep their cheaper old price. Some longtime users find the new layout busier than Gemini's focused flow, which is the main reason to read on.

02

SwipePhotos

iPhone, iPad, Mac (native, one purchase) · Paid-only: weekly, yearly €39.99, or lifetime

Best for: review-first cleanup across iPhone and Mac, with a pay-once option

Ours, disclosed. The opposite philosophy to CleanMyPhone's automation: you swipe through everything in month- or album-scoped sessions, with on-device ML stacking near-duplicates so a burst is one decision, plus dedicated duplicate and screenshot hubs. The draw for ex-Gemini users who left over subscription fatigue is the lifetime unlock, and it's the only option here with a native Mac app in the same purchase. No free tier, no ads.

03

Clever Cleaner

iPhone (iOS 16+) · Free swipe mode with no ads; premium $6.99/week or $39.99 lifetime

Best for: replacing Gemini for free

CleverFiles' cleaner has the most generous free tier in the category: unlimited ad-free swipe review, plus an on-device similar-photo finder that covers most of what Gemini Photos did. Fully free at its 2025 launch, freemium since 2026, and sitting at 4.8 stars across 80,000+ US ratings. iPhone-first (iPad and Mac only via compatibility mode).

04

Slidebox

iPhone, iPad, Android · Free with ads; lifetime $29.99–49.99

Best for: ex-Gemini users who really wanted an organizer

If your Gemini habit was less about duplicates and more about finally imposing order, Slidebox's tap-to-file-into-albums flow is the strongest organizer in the category, with a fair lifetime price and Android support. Weigh the August 2026 reliability complaints (lost sorting progress, deletions not applying) and test it on one album first.

05

Gemini 2 for Mac (yes, it still exists)

Mac only · $19.95/year or $44.95 lifetime (one Mac), via MacPaw's store

Best for: people who miss Gemini the duplicate finder, on a Mac

The name confusion's final twist: MacPaw's desktop duplicate finder, Gemini 2, was never discontinued. It still finds duplicate and similar files (including inside the Photos library), still sells a lifetime license, and still gets maintenance updates, though MacPaw's energy has visibly moved elsewhere. Mac-only, dedupe-only; pair it with any iPhone app above if you need both sides.

What exactly happened to Gemini Photos

March 5, 2024: MacPaw announced 'Gemini Photos becomes CleanMy®Phone.' Rather than launching a new app, it renamed the existing listing (same app ID), so everyone's installed Gemini turned into CleanMyPhone with an update. Nobody lost access, ignore-lists migrated, and MacPaw committed to honoring old Gemini subscription prices for as long as those subscriptions stay active. The knowledge base is blunt that reverting is impossible: 'Gemini Photos has been entirely replaced.'

Practical consequences: if you're a legacy subscriber on the old cheap price, canceling and resubscribing would move you to current pricing, so decide deliberately. And if you're searching the App Store for 'Gemini Photos' and finding nothing under that name, you're not going crazy; the search now surfaces CleanMyPhone at the old listing.

How to choose in one minute

Want the least change: stay on CleanMyPhone, especially on a grandfathered price. Want free: Clever Cleaner. Want to review everything yourself instead of approving AI batches, or want the same tool on your Mac, or want to pay once and be done: SwipePhotos. Want albums sorted while you clean: Slidebox. Miss the Mac duplicate finder specifically: Gemini 2 never left. Whichever you pick, every one of these deletes into Apple's Recently Deleted album, so you keep a 30-day undo on any decision.

Pricing

One purchase. iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

SwipePhotos is paywalled in the app, with weekly, yearly, and lifetime options. Final pricing appears in the App Store.

Download on the App StoreSee full pricing
€39.99
per year, or go lifetime
100%
on-device — photos never uploaded
30 days
everything recoverable in Recently Deleted
FAQ

The questions people actually ask.

Is Gemini Photos still available?

Not under that name. MacPaw renamed it CleanMy®Phone in March 2024 on the same App Store listing; the app itself never disappeared and existing users were migrated automatically.

Do old Gemini Photos subscriptions still work?

Yes. MacPaw states active Gemini-era subscribers keep access to CleanMyPhone at their old price. Canceling would mean resubscribing at current rates ($7.99/month or $36.99/year on the US store, August 2026).

What's the closest free replacement for Gemini Photos?

Clever Cleaner: free unlimited swipe review with no ads and an on-device similars finder (freemium for its extra tools since 2026). Apple's built-in Duplicates album also merges exact copies for free.

Was Gemini 2 for Mac discontinued too?

No. Gemini 2, the Mac duplicate finder, is still sold ($19.95/year or $44.95 lifetime for one Mac as of August 2026) and still receives maintenance updates. Only the iOS Gemini Photos was folded into CleanMyPhone.

Which alternative works on both iPhone and Mac?

SwipePhotos is the one with native apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac under a single purchase. MacPaw splits those markets across CleanMyPhone (iOS) and CleanMyMac/Gemini 2 (Mac) as separate products.

Keep comparing

More head-to-heads.

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SwipePhotos vs CleanMyPhone. Who decides what gets deleted?

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SwipePhotos vs Clever Cleaner. One of these is free. We're not it.

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roundup

The best swipe photo cleaners of 2026. Ranked by someone with skin in the game.

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head-to-head

SwipePhotos vs PhotoSweeper. Different jobs, both done well.

Read the comparison

Your best memories are in there somewhere.
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Weekly, yearly, or lifetime. Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. 100% on-device.

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Gemini Photos is gone: the best alternatives in 2026 · SwipePhotos