Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about how Star Cleaner works, what it costs, and what happens to your data.
- Is Star Cleaner safe to use?
- Yes. Star Cleaner never deletes anything without your confirmation — every group of photos, videos, or contacts is shown for review first. All processing happens on your device, and nothing is uploaded.
- Is Star Cleaner free?
- Star Cleaner is free to download, and the scan is free — you see everything it found before deciding anything. Unlimited cleaning requires Premium (weekly, monthly, or yearly).
- How does Star Cleaner find similar photos?
- It uses perceptual image hashing on your device: each photo gets a visual fingerprint, and photos with near-matching fingerprints are grouped as similar. Exact duplicates are matched byte-for-byte.
- Does Star Cleaner upload my photos or contacts?
- No. Scanning, comparison, compression, and cleaning all run on your device. Your media and contacts never reach a server, and the cleaning tools work offline.
- Which devices and OS versions are supported?
- iPhone and iPad on iOS 15 or later, Android 8 or later, and Macs on macOS 13 or later. The interface is available in 19 languages.
- Can I recover photos after cleaning?
- On iPhone and Mac, deleted photos go to the system's Recently Deleted album for 30 days. On Android, deleted media follows your device's trash behavior (Google Photos trash keeps items for up to 60 days). Star Cleaner itself removes nothing without your confirmation.
- What's the difference between similar and duplicate photos?
- Duplicates are byte-identical copies of one file. Similar photos are different files that look alike — bursts, retakes, near-identical selfies. Star Cleaner has a dedicated tool for each, so you always know what you're cleaning.
- How is Premium billed, and can I cancel?
- Premium is billed through the App Store or Google Play on your account. You can cancel any time in your store's subscription settings, and Premium runs until the period ends.
- Does one subscription cover iPhone and Mac?
- Yes. Premium purchased on iPhone unlocks the Mac app and vice versa — subscriptions sync automatically through your Apple ID. Google Play billing is separate.
- Why is my phone's storage full even after deleting photos?
- Deleted photos often sit in a trash album for 30–60 days, and videos, app caches, and duplicates usually take more space than photos. Star Cleaner's storage analyzer shows your actual breakdown, and its tools target each category directly.
Storage full? Fix it in minutes.
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