HEVCut vs CleanMyPhone (2026)
CleanMyPhone is MacPaw's photo cleaner for iPhone and iPad. It used to be called Gemini Photos, and its App Store listing shows a 4.6 rating from about 23,000 ratings. HEVCut covers the same cleanup ground and adds the job CleanMyPhone barely does: making the photos and videos you keep smaller.
Feature by feature
| Feature | HEVCut | CleanMyPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Video compression | HEVC (10-bit for HDR sources) | Yes, codec not stated |
| Videos per run | Everything matching your filters in one run with Pro; keeps going in the background on iOS 26 | Up to 5 per batch, with the app kept open |
| Your originals | Kept until you tap Keep Compressed (original goes to Recently Deleted) or Revert (copy is deleted), per item or per batch | Replaced; originals go to Recently Deleted |
| Photo compression | HEIC or AVIF | No |
| Duplicates and similar photos | Exact, Similar, Near and Burst tiers; Keep Best Copy explains its pick | Yes, with a suggested best shot |
| Bursts | Burst tier; deleting frames keeps your picks as standalone photos | Not listed |
| Blurry photos and screenshots | Blurry photos, screenshots, screen recordings, QR codes and barcodes | Blurry photos, old screenshots, large videos |
| Messaging and social downloads | Yes (WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and others) | Not listed |
| Swipe review | Yes | Yes (added in version 2.11.0, December 2025) |
| Live Photo to still | Yes, when compressing (Keep Live Photo keeps the motion) | Yes |
| External drive or SD card | Yes | Not listed |
| Mac | Native Mac app | Not available (iPhone and iPad) |
| Widgets | Savings, Storage Forecast, Library Growth, Capture Activity | Not listed |
| Requires | iOS, iPadOS or macOS 26 | iOS 17 or later |
| Paid options | Free to download with free compressions to try; Pro via subscription or one-time purchase | $7.99 a month or $36.99 a year; Unlimited $34.99; older Gemini plans; 3-day trial |
As listed on the US App Store, checked 19 October 2026. “Not listed” means the source doesn’t mention it, not that the app can’t do it. Sources: CleanMyPhone on the App Store, MacPaw: Compress videos (updated 6 August 2026), HEVCut on the App Store.
CleanMyPhone's compression details (batch size, app open, originals replaced) come from MacPaw's own help page rather than the listing. HEVCut's prices aren't shown because they vary by region and offer: check the App Store for current prices.
What HEVCut adds
Photo compression, in formats it names
CleanMyPhone doesn't compress photos. HEVCut saves them as HEIC (the default) or AVIF, encoded on your device. None of the compressor or cleaner listings we checked mentions AVIF. Video goes to HEVC, in 10-bit when the source is HDR, so HLG and HDR10 video keeps its HDR. Spatial Audio is passed through.
A bigger queue that keeps going
MacPaw documents five videos per batch with the app open. HEVCut Pro can work through every photo and video that matches your filters in one run, and on iOS 26 the queue continues after you switch apps, with a progress indicator from the system. iOS can pause it (in Low Power Mode, or when the device is hot), and HEVCut resumes when you reopen it. On Mac it keeps encoding while you use other apps. Videos encode one at a time.
You decide before anything is replaced
Each compressed file is saved next to the original. You compare them (a slider for photos, a synced player for videos) and then tap Keep Compressed or Revert. For a whole batch, delete the originals from the dock once you're happy, or tap Undo to remove the compressed copies and keep your originals. HEVCut only offers items it estimates will shrink by at least 5%, and if a result still comes out larger, it throws the result away and keeps your original.
Your library stays organized
The compressed version keeps the capture date, location, favorite status, albums and filename, so it shows up where the original was.
Cleanup that knows where photos came from
Besides blurry photos and screenshots, HEVCut's Clutter screen sorts out items saved from messaging and social apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram. In Duplicates, every Keep Best Copy pick comes with a plain-language reason, and when you delete some frames of a burst, HEVCut saves the frames you keep as standalone photos (this needs full Photos access).
Mac, external drives and a forecast widget
HEVCut runs as a native Mac app, and on any device it can compress a folder on an external drive or SD card. The Storage Forecast widget shows when your library, at its current pace, will reach the next iCloud+ tier.
See how much space compression would free in your own library: HEVCut shows the total before you start.
Why HEVCut is the better choice
- It shrinks far more of your library. Deleting clears out the junk, but most of a library is photos and videos worth keeping. CleanMyPhone can't compress a single photo; HEVCut compresses both, and shows how much your library would save before you start.
- It scales to your whole library. Five videos at a time, with the app open, means babysitting your phone for a big library. HEVCut Pro takes everything that matches your filters in one run and keeps going after you switch apps.
- You stay in control. CleanMyPhone swaps in the compressed video right away. HEVCut lets you compare first and Revert anything you don't like, and it never keeps a result that came out larger.
- Its picks come with reasons. Every Keep Best Copy choice says why it picked that copy, weighing favorites, edits, location and resolution, so you aren't guessing which shot an algorithm preferred. Bursts get their own tier, and the frames you keep become standalone photos.
- It goes where your media is. A native Mac app, folders on external drives and SD cards, and a Storage Forecast widget for your iCloud plan. CleanMyPhone is iPhone and iPad only.
- Try it without a clock running. Instead of a 3-day trial, HEVCut gives you free compressions to see the result on your own photos and videos.
Frequently asked questions
Is CleanMyPhone the same app as Gemini Photos?
Yes. MacPaw's CleanMyPhone listing says the app was formerly Gemini Photos, and it still lists the older Gemini subscription prices next to the current ones.
Does CleanMyPhone compress photos?
Not as of 19 October 2026. CleanMyPhone compresses videos; its listing doesn't offer photo compression. HEVCut compresses both: videos to HEVC, and photos to HEIC or AVIF.
How many videos can CleanMyPhone compress at once?
MacPaw's help page (updated 6 August 2026) says up to five videos per batch, and the app has to stay open while it works. HEVCut Pro can compress everything that matches your filters in one run, and on iOS 26 the queue keeps going after you leave the app, with progress shown by the system. iOS can still pause it, for example in Low Power Mode, and HEVCut picks it up again when you come back.
What happens to my original videos?
MacPaw says CleanMyPhone replaces the original with the compressed video and moves the original to Recently Deleted. In HEVCut the compressed copy sits next to the original until you choose: Keep Compressed moves the original to Recently Deleted, Revert deletes the copy. You can also act on a whole batch at once. You can compare the two side by side first.
Does CleanMyPhone work on Mac?
Its App Store listing covers iPhone and iPad only. HEVCut has a native Mac app, and on iPhone, iPad and Mac it can also compress videos and photos in a folder on an external drive or SD card.
Do I still need CleanMyPhone if I have HEVCut?
You can, since both work on the same Photos library, but you don't need to. HEVCut has duplicates, blurry photos, screenshots and Swipe as well, and it compresses photos and whole libraries, which CleanMyPhone doesn't. If you do keep both, compress with one only, so a video isn't re-encoded twice.