FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Photo Library Access
Q: Why does FreeSpace need access to my Photos?
A: FreeSpace scans your library on your iPhone to find similar photos, large videos, screenshots, blurry shots, and other categories that may be wasting storage. Processing stays on your device. We do not upload your photos to our servers.
Q: I chose "Limited Access" — why does FreeSpace show fewer items?
A: With Limited Access, iOS only lets FreeSpace see the photos you manually selected. To scan your full library, go to Settings → FreeSpace → Photos and choose "Full Access", or tap "Allow Full Access" on the Home screen banner.
Q: Does FreeSpace delete photos without my permission?
A: No. Nothing is permanently removed until you review items and confirm deletion. In Swipe mode, items you swipe left are set aside first; you can review them before final removal.
Home & Smart Clean
Q: What does the Home screen show?
A: The top card displays your estimated album storage and item count. Below that you will find category cards, shortcuts to Swipe and Compress, a Freed history row, and a Downloads shortcut for the Files tab.
Q: What is Smart Clean?
A: Smart Clean lets you select multiple cleanup categories (similar photos, blurry photos, screenshots, etc.) and remove selected items in one pass. Open Smart Clean from the Home screen button.
Q: Why is Home showing "Analyzing Storage..." or "Scanning..."?
A: FreeSpace is performing its first scan or refreshing after your library changed. Progress is shown on the top card. Once complete, categories and storage estimates update automatically.
Q: What is "Freed" on the Home screen?
A: Freed tracks how much storage you have reclaimed through cleanup, compression, and file removal. Tap it to see a breakdown by photos, videos, compress, and files.
Swipe
Q: How does Swipe work?
A: Swipe organizes your library by month. Swipe right to keep a photo, swipe left to set it aside for removal. You can review set‑aside items before permanently deleting them.
Q: What are Smart Albums?
A: Smart Albums automatically sort photos into groups such as People, Food, Nature, Receipts, and more. Open the Swipe tab and tap "Smart Album" to try it. Analysis runs on your device.
Q: I finished swiping a month — can I go back?
A: Yes. Return to the month list on the Swipe tab and open any month again. Progress is saved per month.
Compress
Q: How does compression work?
A: FreeSpace creates smaller copies of your photos or videos. You can choose compression quality (Balanced, Smaller, or Gentler). After compression, you may optionally remove the original to free additional space.
Q: Will compressed photos/videos look worse?
A: FreeSpace is designed to reduce file size with minimal visible quality loss. Higher compression saves more space. You can preview estimated savings before starting.
Q: Compression seems slow — is that normal?
A: Yes. Compressing video especially can take several minutes depending on file size and quantity. Keep the app open and on screen until processing finishes.
Q: Where do compressed items go?
A: Compressed photos and videos are saved back to your Photos library (FreeSpace requests Add to Photos permission for this). You can then delete originals from within the app if you choose.
Files
Q: What does the Files tab do?
A: Files helps you find large items in folders you choose — such as Downloads, iCloud Drive, or On My iPhone. You can filter by All, Video, Image, PDF, Archive, or Other, then review and remove files you no longer need.
Q: Does FreeSpace scan my entire phone automatically?
A: No. For privacy, FreeSpace only scans folders you explicitly add. Tap "Add folder" or "Choose Downloads" to get started.
Q: Can FreeSpace compress non‑photo files?
A: Yes. You can compress a single PDF, ZIP, or other supported file from the file detail screen.
Subscriptions & Purchases
Q: What does FreeSpace Pro include?
A: Pro unlocks the full cleanup experience, including Smart Clean, Swipe, Compress, and Files features without limits. Specific benefits are shown on the subscription screen inside the app.
Q: How do I restore my purchase?
A: Open the Settings tab → Support → Restore Purchase. Make sure you are signed in with the same Apple ID used for the original purchase.
Q: How do I cancel my subscription?
A: Subscriptions are managed by Apple, not FreeSpace directly. Go to: Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions → FreeSpace → Cancel. You will keep access until the end of the current billing period.
Q: I was charged after a free trial — how do I get a refund?
A: Refunds are handled by Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple ID, find the FreeSpace charge, and submit a refund request. You can also contact us at lihairuiit@gmail.com and we will do our best to help.
Privacy & Data
Q: Is my data private?
A: Yes. Photo scanning, Smart Album analysis, and file scanning all run on your iPhone. Your photos and files are not uploaded to FreeSpace servers for processing.
Q: Where can I read your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use?
Troubleshooting
Q: FreeSpace is not finding photos / categories are empty
A: • Confirm Photos permission is set to Full Access (not Limited with no selection).
• Pull down on Home to refresh, or force‑quit and reopen the app.
• Wait for the initial scan to complete (watch for the progress bar).
Q: The app feels slow or my phone gets warm during the first scan
A: The first scan analyzes your entire library. FreeSpace processes photos in batches to reduce heat and keep the UI responsive. Subsequent opens use a cached scan and are much faster.
Q: Compression or deletion failed
A: • Ensure FreeSpace has Full Photos access and, for saving compressed media, Add to Photos permission.
• Keep the app in the foreground during compression.
• Check available storage — very low free space can cause failures.
• Restart the app and try again with fewer items.
Q: Restore Purchase says "Nothing to Restore"
A: This usually means no active subscription is linked to your current Apple ID. Verify you are signed into the correct account under Settings → [Your Name].
Q: The app crashes or freezes
A: Update FreeSpace to the latest version from the App Store. If the problem continues, restart your iPhone and email us with your device model, iOS version, and app version.