Support

Get in touch

Email hello@siftphotos.app with what you were doing, what you expected to happen, and which iPhone and iOS version you have. I aim to reply within two working days.

Common questions

What's free, and what does the unlock add?

Everything in Sift is free for your first 250 photos. Keeping or binning a photo counts towards that; Decide Later doesn't. After that, a one-off payment of £9.99 unlocks Sift for good. There's no subscription, and it's shared with your household through Family Sharing.

Photos you've already marked to bin can always be reviewed and deleted, unlocked or not.

I've already paid. How do I unlock Sift on a new phone?

Open Stats (tap the bar at the top of the home screen) and choose Restore purchase, signed in with the same Apple ID you paid with.

Does swiping left delete the photo straight away?

No. Swiping left only marks a photo to bin. When you finish, Sift shows everything you marked in one grid so you can rescue anything you didn't mean to. Nothing is deleted until you tap Delete and confirm.

I deleted a photo by mistake. Can I get it back?

Yes, for 30 days. Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted in the Photos app (Albums, then Recently Deleted). Open it there and tap Recover.

What does "Decide later" do?

Swipe up, or tap the clock, to put a photo aside without choosing. You'll find them all in the Decide Later tile when you're ready.

How does Similar shots work?

Sift looks for photos taken within a few minutes of each other that look almost the same, like a burst or several tries at the same picture. It stars the one it thinks is best and suggests binning the rest. You can change any of them before anything is deleted.

The first look through a large library can take a few minutes. After that, Sift only checks new photos.

How do the daily goal and streak work?

Every photo you keep or bin counts towards 50 a day. Decide Later doesn't count, because it isn't a decision yet. Hit 50 and your streak grows by a day. If you miss a day, one streak freeze a week keeps it going.

Sift says it has limited access.

When you first open Sift, iOS asks whether to share all your photos or just some. If you chose some, Sift can only see those. Tap Change on the banner to pick more, or allow full access in Settings, then Apps, then Sift, then Photos.

Does it work with iCloud Photos?

Yes. If your iPhone keeps smaller versions to save space, the full photo downloads from iCloud when you look at it, so you'll need a connection for those.

Can I start a month again?

Finished months stay sorted, but you can go through any month again from the calendar. To clear all your keep and bin marks, open Stats (tap the bar at the top) and choose Reset sorting progress. Your photos aren't touched.

Where is my progress kept?

On your iPhone, in Sift's own storage. There's no account. If you delete the app, your progress goes with it, but your photos stay exactly as they are.

Is there an iPad version?

Not yet. Sift is for iPhone for now.