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Doppelgone vs Gemini Photos, now CleanMy Phone (2026)

Updated November 7, 2026 · 8 min read

Gemini Photos, MacPaw's duplicate photo cleaner for iPhone, no longer exists in its original form. MacPaw says it has been replaced by CleanMy Phone (written CleanMy®Phone), and Gemini Photos users were moved across automatically. On the Mac, MacPaw still sells Gemini 2, a duplicate file finder. So comparing Doppelgone with "Gemini" today means comparing it with CleanMy Phone on iPhone and Gemini 2 on Mac. In short: CleanMy Phone is a broader iPhone clean-up app, covering screenshots, blurred photos and large videos as well as duplicates, and it's sold as a subscription. Gemini 2 finds duplicate files of any kind on a Mac. Doppelgone does one job, duplicate and lookalike photos. It keeps the best shot of each set and says why, works in Google Photos and iCloud Photos as well as on iPhone, Mac, Windows and Android, and Pro is a one-time purchase.

We make Doppelgone, so for MacPaw's apps we've stuck to what MacPaw's own pages and App Store listings say, checked on 7 November 2026. Prices are from the US App Store. Check them before you buy, because they change.

What happened to Gemini Photos

MacPaw's support article "From Gemini Photos to CleanMy®Phone", updated on 26 May 2026, says:

  • Gemini Photos has been entirely replaced by CleanMy Phone, and existing users were moved to it automatically.
  • CleanMy Phone keeps Gemini Photos' features, and your Ignore list carries over.
  • You can't go back to Gemini Photos.
  • If you had an active Gemini Photos subscription, you keep your old price.
  • If CleanMy Phone doesn't suit you, you can ask MacPaw for a refund.

The App Store listing is now called "CleanMy®Phone: Cleanup Storage", and its list of in-app purchases still shows several Gemini Photos plans.

One more source of confusion: searching for "Gemini" also brings up Google's Gemini assistant, which has nothing to do with photo cleaning, and Gemini 2, MacPaw's separate app for the Mac.

At a glance

Doppelgone CleanMy Phone (was Gemini Photos) Gemini 2 (Mac)
Runs on Chrome extension, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android iPhone and iPad, iOS 17 or later Mac, macOS 10.13 or later
What it cleans Duplicate, lookalike and burst photos Duplicates and similar photos, screenshots, blurred photos, large videos Duplicate and similar files of any kind, including the Photos library and music
Google Photos library Yes, in Chrome Not mentioned Not mentioned
iCloud Photos In Chrome on icloud.com, in the iPhone app, and in the Mac app through the Photos library Through the iPhone's photo library Through the Mac's Photos library
What it keeps The best shot of each set (eyes open, sharp, well lit), with the reason shown Highlights the best photo in a group of similar shots; you decide Keeps originals; rules you can set; MacPaw says it learns from your choices
Removed items Wait 30 days in the service's own trash Recently Deleted, as with any iPhone app The Trash by default, and you can restore them
Price (US) Free for 200 clean-ups. Pro is one payment of $9.99; on iPhone, a one-time in-app purchase Subscription: $7.99 a month or $36.99 a year $19.99 a year in the Mac App Store, or through Setapp
Privacy Your photos never leave your device MacPaw says it works fully on-device and doesn't upload your pictures App Store label: usage and diagnostics data, not linked to you

CleanMy Phone and Doppelgone on iPhone

What CleanMy Phone does well. It's a broad clean-up tool. Besides duplicates and similar shots, it finds blurred photos, old screenshots and large videos, so one app covers several kinds of clutter. It's widely used: 4.6 stars from 23K ratings on the US App Store. MacPaw says it works fully on-device and doesn't save or upload your pictures.

What it costs. The app is a free download with in-app purchases. The CleanMy Phone plans are $7.99 a month or $36.99 a year. The listing also shows an item called "Unlimited access" at $34.99, plus the older Gemini Photos plans.

What Doppelgone does on iPhone. It finds exact copies, lookalikes and burst shots in the photos on your iPhone and in iCloud Photos. In each set it keeps the best shot and shows the reason. You approve every clean-up, and iOS asks you to confirm before anything moves. Removed photos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days. Favourites, videos and photos shared with you are never touched. Pro is a one-time in-app purchase at the App Store's price, and it covers that iPhone.

One thing that applies to both. With iCloud Photos turned on, any photo app on your iPhone is working on your iCloud library. What you delete on the phone is deleted on your other devices too, and waits in Recently Deleted for 30 days.

Gemini 2 and Doppelgone on Mac

What Gemini 2 does well. It finds duplicate and similar files of every kind, not just photos. It scans folders and disks, the Photos library, your music library, external drives and network volumes. It can watch for new duplicates, move duplicates to a folder instead of deleting them, or replace copies with hard links to save space. Auto-selection keeps the originals, and you can add rules such as "remove the older duplicate".

What it costs. Gemini 2 is a free download in the Mac App Store. Automatic clean-up (Smart Cleanup) is a paid add-on, and the listing shows "Gemini 2: Yearly Access" at $19.99. It's also available through Setapp, from $4.99 a month for Gemini on its own, with a 7-day trial, or as part of a full Setapp membership.

What Doppelgone does on Mac. The Mac app cleans the Mac Photos library, folders and external drives, for photos only. Photos removed from the Photos library go to Recently Deleted for 30 days. Photos removed from folders go to a Removed folder, then to the Trash after 30 days, with undo. It needs macOS 14 or newer.

Where MacPaw's apps are the better choice

  • You want one iPhone app for screenshots, blurred photos and large videos as well as duplicates: CleanMy Phone.
  • You need to find duplicate files that aren't photos, such as documents or music, on a Mac: Gemini 2.
  • You already pay for Setapp: Gemini is part of it.
  • Your Mac runs an older macOS. Gemini 2 supports macOS 10.13 or later; Doppelgone's Mac app needs macOS 14 or newer.

Where Doppelgone is the better choice

  • Your duplicates are in Google Photos, or you want to clean iCloud Photos from a Windows PC or a Chromebook, using Chrome on icloud.com.
  • You want the best shot picked for you, with the reason shown, and you want to approve each clean-up.
  • You want favourites, videos and photos shared with you left alone.
  • You'd rather pay once than every month or year.
  • You use more than one device: on a computer, one Pro payment covers up to 3 libraries.

Leaving Gemini Photos: three things to check

  1. What you pay now. On your iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, to see whether a Gemini Photos or CleanMy Phone plan is still running.
  2. Nothing is lost by switching. Photos you removed recently stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days, whichever app you use next.
  3. Start with Apple's free tool. In the Photos app, tap Collections, scroll to Utilities and tap Duplicates to merge exact copies. Then use a tool for the lookalikes and bursts it doesn't cover. See find similar and burst photos in iCloud Photos.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gemini Photos discontinued?

Yes, in its original form. MacPaw's support article, updated on 26 May 2026, says Gemini Photos has been entirely replaced by CleanMy Phone and that users were moved to it automatically. Gemini 2 for Mac is a separate product and is still sold.

Is there a Gemini Photos alternative without a subscription?

Yes. Apple's own Duplicates album in the Photos app is free and merges exact copies. For lookalikes and burst shots, Doppelgone's iPhone app has a free plan, and Pro is a one-time in-app purchase rather than a subscription.

Does CleanMy Phone work with Google Photos?

Its App Store listing doesn't mention Google Photos; it scans the photo library on your iPhone. To clean the Google Photos library itself, you need a tool that works on photos.google.com, such as Doppelgone's Chrome extension. There's a wider list in Google Photos duplicate remover alternatives.

Does Gemini 2 find similar photos, or only exact duplicates?

Both. MacPaw says Gemini 2 finds duplicates and similar-looking files, and lets you compare the similar ones before you remove anything.

Will my photos be uploaded?

MacPaw says CleanMy Phone works fully on-device and doesn't upload your pictures. With Doppelgone, your photos never leave your device; the privacy page lists the little that does go to our server.

What to do next

On iPhone, get Doppelgone from the App Store and run a free scan. For Google Photos or iCloud Photos on a computer, add Doppelgone to Chrome. For the Mac Photos library, get the Mac app from the download page. Nothing moves until you approve it.

Sources

Checked on 7 November 2026:

Google Photos is a trademark of Google LLC; iCloud is a trademark of Apple Inc. Doppelgone is not affiliated with Google or Apple. Gemini Photos, Gemini 2 and CleanMy Phone are MacPaw products, and Doppelgone is not affiliated with MacPaw.