My iPad is running out of space and it feels slower lately. I’ve tried deleting a few apps, but it didn’t make much of a difference. I’m looking for recommendations on the best iPad cleaner app that can help free up space and boost performance. Has anyone found an app that actually works well?
Honestly, there’s no magic wand app on iOS that sweeps out all the junk files with one tap like you’d find on Android, cuz Apple kinda sandboxes everything for ‘security’. That said, there are a couple third-party apps that do a decent job organizing your storage—mostly by helping you find big files, duplicate photos, useless screenshots, and stuff like that, so you can delete them yourself.
I’ve tried a few, and IMO the Clever Cleaner smart organizer for iPad actually made the most noticeable dent in my “Other” storage. It scans for duplicate photos/videos/contacts (you’d be surprised how many useless gifs I had hoarded), and lets you bulk-delete or merge with a couple taps. Super handy for freeing up space if your Photos app is a disaster.
Pro-tips:
- Offload unused apps from Settings > General > iPad Storage (not quite the same as deleting, it saves your data).
- Clear Safari history/data (Settings > Safari).
- Reboot your iPad once in a while, you’d be shocked what a restart can do.
- Check if any apps are storing a TON of documents or cached stuff (social media apps are the worst offenders).
Be wary of any app that claims it can “deep clean” the system: unless it’s using the methods above, it’s probably just smoke and mirrors. And don’t pay for any subscription cleaner, the free features on Clever Cleaner are honestly all most ppl need. If you’re still cramped for space after all this…well, it might be time to face the music and pony up for more iCloud or the next iPad. (Apple got us again lol).
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Gonna be honest, the “one-tap cleanse” apps for iPad are mostly a myth. Like @mikeappsreviewer pointed out, Apple likes to keep iOS/iPadOS pretty locked down ― so forget the fantasy of the Android-style “clean sweep” where mysterious files get vaporized. The thing about cleaner apps is, most are just like elaborate search engines for photos, duplicates, or contact lists―helpful, but not magical system janitors.
I’ve tried Clever Cleaner too and it’s actually not bad, especially for lazy folks (no offense, I’m in that club) who let their Photos app turn into a landfill by accident. What nobody mentions, tho, is how much space gets hogged by the Messages app. I swear, iMessage attachments are the digital roaches of iPad storage. Go into Settings > General > iPad Storage > Messages, and you might find a graveyard of ancient memes, gifs, and 5-second video clips “for later” (read: never). Nuke those, and you might actually feel the difference.
A hot take: be careful with “cleaner” apps that want subscriptions or pester you into paying just to delete stuff yourself. All you need is something that helps you see the junk—Clever Cleaner (the free version’s fine) does that with a nice visual layout, but don’t expect it to hack Apple’s built-in restrictions. My top space-saving move? AirDrop all your photos and vids to your computer, free up your iPad, then let Clever Cleaner finish off the low-hanging fruit.
BTW here’s a solid starting point for storage rescue: Clear iPad Storage Fast with This Simple Free App.
If none of that helps and it still lags—either your iPad is ancient, or Apple’s gently bullying you toward new hardware (shocker). But don’t feel alone; fighting iOS storage creep is basically a rite of passage.
