Questions and answers

How to sort your photos faster from a computer, clear your iPhone from a Mac or PC, and what PhotoCull does (and never does) with your photos.

Why sort photos on a computer instead of on the iPhone?

A big screen shows more photos at once, a mouse and keyboard select hundreds of them in seconds, and comparing shots side by side is easier than flipping back and forth. Sorting a camera roll of thousands of photos is a few sittings on a phone and a much shorter session on a Mac or PC.

What is PhotoCull?

PhotoCull is a free desktop app for Mac and Windows that groups your photos by trip, compares similar shots side by side and bulk-deletes what is not worth keeping. It reads your iPhone's camera roll over USB, or any folder of photos on your computer, and works 100% on-device.

How do I sort thousands of photos quickly?

Open the Trips view: your library is grouped by trip with the space each one takes, so you start with the heaviest. Inside a trip, mark photos in bulk, compare the similar ones side by side and keep the best shot of each group. The same filters as the iOS app (single-day trips, excluded places like home or work, size) narrow things down.

How do I free up my iPhone storage from a Mac or PC?

Plug in your iPhone by USB, open PhotoCull, mark the trips and photos you no longer need, and confirm. The deletion is applied on the iPhone by the free TripSweep app through “Recently Deleted”, so it frees space as soon as you empty that album.

Can I delete photos from my iPhone directly from my computer?

Yes, from a Mac or a Windows PC, with the TripSweep app installed on the iPhone. From a Mac, free allows 6 photos a day, Pro 15 and Pro + Desktop removes the limit.

Is deleting from PhotoCull permanent?

No. Deletions on the iPhone always go through the Photos app's “Recently Deleted” album, where photos stay for 30 days and can be restored. PhotoCull never performs an immediate permanent delete.

How do I connect my iPhone to PhotoCull?

Use a USB cable, unlock the iPhone and tap “Trust” when asked. On a Mac nothing else is needed. On Windows, install the free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, which provides the driver that lets PhotoCull read the iPhone.

Do I need the TripSweep iOS app?

Not to browse, compare and sort. You need it only to delete photos from the iPhone, because the deletion is applied on the phone. Folders on your computer can be sorted without it.

Can I use PhotoCull on photos stored on my computer, not on an iPhone?

Yes. Open any folder: PhotoCull finds similar photos in it, shows the badges on the similar ones and lets you compare and delete with no daily limit.

How does PhotoCull find similar photos?

It compares the content of your photos, not their file names, so bursts, near-identical shots and the same scene taken several times end up in the same group. You can compare up to 6 photos side by side and keep the sharpest, best-framed one.

How do I compare similar photos side by side?

Select a group of similar photos and open the comparison: up to 6 photos are shown at the same size so you can judge focus, expressions and framing. Keep the best one and mark the rest.

Does PhotoCull work on Windows?

Yes: Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). Reading an iPhone requires the free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. The app is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may show a warning on first launch: choose “More info” then “Run anyway”.

Which Macs does PhotoCull support?

Macs with Apple Silicon running macOS 11 or later. The app is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens without a security warning.

Is PhotoCull free? Is there a subscription?

PhotoCull is free to download and there is no subscription. Browsing, comparing and sorting are free, and sorting a folder on your computer is never limited. Deleting photos from an iPhone from a Mac is limited to 6 a day for free, 15 with TripSweep Pro and unlimited with Pro + Desktop (one-time purchases made in the TripSweep iOS app).

Does PhotoCull send my photos to a server or the cloud?

No. PhotoCull works 100% on-device: no account, no cloud, no photo, video or location is ever sent anywhere. Place recognition and similar-photo detection run on your computer. Only optional, anonymous usage statistics can be sent.

Will PhotoCull change or modify my original photos?

No. PhotoCull only reads your photos to show and compare them. The only change it ever makes is the deletion you confirm.

How do I hide my home and workplace from the trips view?

Add them as excluded places: daily life then stops showing up as a trip and your real trips stand out. The setting is the same as in the iOS app.

Can I clean up after a vacation from my computer?

Yes, it is the typical use. After a trip, plug in the iPhone, open that trip in PhotoCull, compare the similar shots, keep the best of each and delete the rest. The TripSweep app can also export the whole trip before you delete anything.

Can I use PhotoCull to prepare a photo album or a backup?

PhotoCull helps you decide what is worth keeping: sort the trip, remove the duplicates and near-identical shots, then back up or share what is left. The TripSweep app can export or share a whole trip.