How I deleted hundreds of old photos from my Android in seconds with the Sponge app – free

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite resource on Google.

Highlights taken by ZDNET

• If you need to clear space on your phone, Sponge has you covered.
• This app makes deleting old photos quick and easy.
• The app is free, unless you need to delete videos and/or collections.

I don’t know about you, but my phone — the Pixel 9 Pro — is full of photos and videos I’ve taken over the years, and they take up a lot of space. Great space. Star Trek Discovery-space standards.

Every now and then, I realize it’s time to remove the cruft, which means going through the tedious task of deleting photos using the Google Photos app.

Aaack! (IYKYK.)

I’ve done this countless times, and it never fails to take longer than I have the patience for.

Until now.

Also: 7 apps I use to lock, encrypt, and keep my files private – and most are free

I recently found an app with one goal: to make deleting photos and videos as efficient as possible. In fact, the Sponge app takes a Tinder-like approach to deleting photos: swipe left to delete, swipe right to save.

But Sponge takes this one step further by letting you delete individual photos, photos by date, or photos in batches.

With one swipe, you can delete those photos and/or videos you no longer want. It’s so simple that the first time I used it, I couldn’t help but laugh. I was so used to Google Photos’ way of deleting photos that having something so quick and easy was a breath of fresh air.

In addition, you can set Sponge to remind you to delete photos.

It’s delicious.

One thing to remember is that the sponge only removes photos from your local device, not those in your Google Cloud account. This is great because it means you’ll always have a backup of the photos you delete.

Another caveat is that the free version can only delete photos, and only for a month. If you need to add video removal (and batch photo removal), you must pay for the Premium version, which is a one-time (in-app) fee of $3.49.

Also: Your Android phone gets the power of an agent with Gemini Intelligence – here’s how and when

By using the sponge in conjunction with emptying your Android Recycle Bin, you can save serious storage space on your device.

Finding a sponge

The sponge is available in Google Play Store and it’s free to install. To install it, open the Google Play Store app, search for Sponge, tap the entry (its official title is Sponge – Gallery Cleaner), and tap Install. The sponge is installed in seconds and ready to go.

Are you ready to “clean” your phone of the photos and videos you no longer need?

Let me show you how.

Using a sponge

Open the app, and tap “View all” next to the area. You will see your photos listed by month, starting with the oldest. Start by tapping on the moon to reveal the images contained within.

For each photo, swipe left to remove it or right to save it. As you swipe, you will be presented with the following image. When you finish that month, you’ll see a page asking if you want to permanently delete the photos now or decide later. Tap “Delete forever,” and you’ll be presented with an Accomplished page, which shows you how many photos you’ve updated and how much space you’ve saved.

Also: Google quietly confirms ChromeOS-Android integration – here’s what it means to you

Move on to the next month and continue the process.

I deleted hundreds of photos in less than a minute, and it felt really good.

After using the sponge for a few days, I’ve decided it’s a must-have app, as it makes the space on my Android phone much more efficient.

Monthly reminders

If you’re someone who tends to forget to do such tasks, you’ll be happy to know that Sponge can remind you (with a pop-up in your Notification Shade) every month to clean up the photos.

Also: This free Android launcher made my phone and tablet look like Windows 11 – here’s how

To enable this feature, tap the three-line menu button in the upper-left corner of the app, tap Settings, and tap the on/off slider to “Monthly Reminder.”

If you regularly need to delete old or unwanted photos from your Android phone, you won’t find an easier way to do that than Sponge. Install this app, use it, and save yourself a lot of time and effort.