CCleaner for Android was developed to keep your device running nice and smoothly while also freeing up space and ridding your device of junk files. Made by Piriform (the same company that makes CCleaner for Windows and macOS), this Android app doesn’t exaggerate how useful it can be. Instead, it just gets on with the job at hand, with genuinely good results. With over 10 Million downloads worldwide, CCleaner for Android must be doing something right. More than just your average cache cleaner, CCleaner allows users to clean out their call logs and SMS messages either one-by-one or in bulk, as well as making it easy to uninstall more than one app at a time and get a quick look at how much space these apps are consuming on your device. With no ads or “suggested apps”, CCleaner itself is a lightweight and clean app, and Pro users will get access to even more features such as the unique scheduler, which keeps your device ticking along smoothly for you all the time.
Just like other Android apps, CCleaner can be downloaded from the Play Store, for free, and it doesn’t contain ads or suchlike. Piriform make their money by asking users to upgrade to the Pro version (more on that later). When users have downloaded the app and opened it, they’ll be greeted by the main cleaner screen.
Regular users will see the “last clean” message, which lets people know when they last used CCleaner. New users will have to hit the “analyze” button for the first time, this sets the wheels in motion and puts CCleaner to work. Depending on how much “stuff” you have on your device, this might take quite some time, but after a little while, users should see a report on the amount of cache and so on that they can clean up their device.
Here, CCleaner gives users the option of just what they want to clean from their device. Nine times out of ten, the cache is a great thing to clean up (it’s similar emptying the recycle bin on your computer, or cleaning out the cookies). While some apps might misbehave after this, I have never experienced this, and I’ve been running CCleaner for a long, long time now.
Users are given the option of sharing their cleaning stats with friends online, but more than anything this is just a screen to let people know things are complete and how much space has been saved. CCleaner is more than just a junk cleaner however, and a quick look at the settings page will show as much.
Here, users can customize cleaning notifications to remind them to clean their device, and Pro users can go ahead and start to work out their own cleaning schedule.
Included in CCleaner are other system tools, such as the ability to take a look at the apps installed on your device and manage them too. This is actually a pretty great tool for users to have, it makes it super-simple to see which apps are system apps and which of them might already be disabled.
On top of that, the App Manager feature makes it easy to uninstall more than one app at a time, all users need to do is hit the trash can and then tick the boxes beside the apps and then confirm each app that comes up. This is a great way of removing multiple apps after testing similar types out. This and other features are easily found from the pull-out menu off to the side.
The System Info feature allows you to easily see how much storage your device has and provides useful information on battery level, temperature and more. It’s also nice and easy to understand.
CCleaner has a lot on offer and while these sort of apps are dime a dozen these days in the Play Store, it’s hard to argue with just how complete a solution like CCleaner is. With no ads or anything in the way, even if you use the free version, CCleaner immediately shows off a more professional attitude and on top of that the app really does work. With no process cleaner, CCleaner instead focuses on things that do slow your device down; such as useless cache files that are sticking around too long, call logs that are full of the same numbers you already have stored, empty folders from removed apps and so on. For me, CCleaner is most useful for uninstalling large numbers of apps every week or so, and then cleaning them up after a while. Android is very, very good at keeping everything running nice and smoothly, but it’s not perfect and a well-established firm like Piriform have come up with a great way of giving it a helping hand.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – CCleaner is quick and easy to use and gets to work in a timely manner.
- Theme (4/5) – While not the best looking app out there, the interface fits in well with the rest of Android and is nice and easy to use, too. Everything is clearly marked and easy to understand.
- Features (5/5) – The analyzer as well as the app manager are great features, and the ability to schedule a clean is great for those looking for an effort-free way to keep their devices running smoothly.
- Overall (5/5) – With sensible cleaning functions that really do make a difference, and no pesky ads, CCleaner does a great job of keeping your Android device at its best.
Pros
- Analyzer function is easy to use and gives users the choice of what they want to remove from their device and what they don’t want to remove.
- System info pane is cleaner and easier to understand than many included with Android devices. It’s a great way of letting users get some info on their device in a simple and straightforward manner.
- App Manager helps users to clean up their devices after they’ve installed a lot of apps and games and helps educate users as to which apps auto-start or run in the background.
- Scheduler feature helps users keep their devices running quickly without the need for manual cleaning, which can feel like a chore.
Cons
- Guided tutorial on what CCleaner does and why it helps will be helpful for complete novices.
- Option to sort apps by when they were last used would be a useful feature.
All-in-all, CCleaner has a lot to offer, and it’s the sort of thing that a lot of people should have installed on their devices. It’s quick, easy to use and does a lot of good for your Android smartphone or tablet. It’s not interested in trying to sell you suggested apps and just gets the job at hand done, with genuinely good results. Speedy, easy to use, CCleaner is well worth looking into.