App Showcase: AI Cleanup

What it does

AI Cleanup is a mobile utility designed to help users reclaim storage space on their devices. Its core functions include identifying and deleting similar or duplicate photos, cleaning screenshots, compressing large videos, and removing junk files. Beyond cleaning, the app also offers a suite of privacy and security features, such as a password-protected "Secret Space" to hide media and an SOS alarm system.

Where it shines

The app excels in providing a sense of user control. Instead of a black-box "one-tap clean," it breaks down deletable files into clear categories like "Similar Photos" (01:31) and "Screenshots" (00:57). Within these categories, it offers sorting tools (01:01) and manual selection, building trust by ensuring the user makes the final call. The app also cleverly bundles its core utility with valuable security features (03:04), creating a more robust and sticky product.

UX highlights

• Problem-first onboarding: The initial flow (00:02-00:19) primes the user by highlighting common pain points like low storage and slow performance before presenting the solution.
• Clear success feedback: After every cleaning action, the app presents a clean, simple success screen (01:14) quantifying the space saved and time saved, reinforcing the app's value.
• Granular controls: The ability to sort photos by size (01:01) and deselect items from a bulk selection (01:05) gives users confidence they won't delete anything important.
• Organized dashboard: The main screen (00:48) is well-organized, providing clear entry points to all major features (Photo Cleaner, Video Cleaner, Compress, Secret Space) without feeling cluttered.
• Multiple compression options: The video compression tool (02:11) offers different levels of compression, allowing users to balance file size with quality.

Monetization & growth

The app uses a hard paywall strategy, requiring users to subscribe before accessing any features. The onboarding flow is designed to funnel users directly to a single subscription offer (00:19), which is a 3-day free trial that converts to a weekly plan. This approach filters for users with high intent who are willing to pay to solve their storage problems immediately. After a successful cleaning action, the app prompts for a rating (01:23), aiming to boost its App Store visibility.

Who it’s for

This app is for smartphone users who are frustrated with running out of storage space and feel overwhelmed by the task of manually cleaning their devices. It appeals to those who want both automated suggestions (like identifying duplicate photos) and final manual control over what gets deleted. The addition of privacy and security features also targets users who are looking for an all-in-one utility to manage and protect their device's content.

Notes & opportunities

While effective, the immediate hard paywall could deter users who want to see the app's scanning results before committing. A potential opportunity could be to run a free scan, show the user exactly how much space they could save, and then present the paywall to unlock the actual cleaning action. The system permission prompts (00:39-00:46) are presented without any custom warm-up screens, which could be an area for improvement to increase opt-in rates.