Files by Google vs Phone Cleaner – Junk Files: what 5,624 reviews say

Files by Google vs Phone Cleaner – Junk Files: the numbers side by side

Where do Files by Google and Phone Cleaner – Junk Files differ most?

• On slowness, crashes and bugs, Files by Google draws 22.7% of its 1–2★ reviews, while Phone Cleaner – Junk Files draws 3.8%.
• The app not working or doing little is a bigger issue for Files by Google (26.9% of low ratings) than for Phone Cleaner – Junk Files (10.5%).
• Phone Cleaner – Junk Files's unhappy reviewers mention ads, pop-ups and pushy screens about 4 times as often as Files by Google's: 13% against 3.1% of 1–2★ reviews.
• Privacy and permission worries is a bigger issue for Files by Google (5% of low ratings) than for Phone Cleaner – Junk Files (1.8%).
• Files by Google's unhappy reviewers mention billing, trials and cancelling roughly twice as often as Phone Cleaner – Junk Files's: 3.5% against 1.3% of 1–2★ reviews.

Both are compared on Android. Files by Google browses and shares files and suggests old chat-app photos, duplicate files and other items to delete; Phone Cleaner – Junk Files cleans junk files and app caches and bundles an app manager, battery and CPU monitor, image compressor and duplicate file remover.

Are Files by Google and Phone Cleaner – Junk Files improving?

Files by Google went from 3.26 stars in 2026-Q2 to 4.34 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 4.1% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. Phone Cleaner – Junk Files went from 4.42 stars in 2025-Q3 to 4.15 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 0% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. On Google Play, Files by Google's developer answers more unhappy reviewers (57.6% against 0.5%).

Where are Files by Google and Phone Cleaner – Junk Files alike?

Their reviewers agree on deleting photos or files the user wanted: on each, the two apps are within two points of each other (2.4% vs 2.3%). 18.4% of Files by Google's reviews are 1★ and 58.8% are 5★; for Phone Cleaner – Junk Files the split is 10.8% and 63.5%, so Files by Google has noticeably more very angry reviewers.

What do happy users praise in each?

11.2% of Files by Google's 4–5★ reviews say it is easy to use, compared with 3.9% for Phone Cleaner – Junk Files. 3% of Files by Google's 4–5★ reviews say organising photos, compared with 0% for Phone Cleaner – Junk Files. 2.7% of Files by Google's 4–5★ reviews say it finds duplicates and similar shots, compared with 0.7% for Phone Cleaner – Junk Files.

Which is cheaper, Files by Google or Phone Cleaner – Junk Files?

Files by Google: no prices listed. Phone Cleaner – Junk Files: Google Play (US) $0.99 to $49.99 per item, with ads. Files by Google costs nothing to use. Billing makes up 3.5% of Files by Google's 1–2★ reviews and 1.3% of Phone Cleaner – Junk Files's.

What reviewers say about Files by Google and Phone Cleaner – Junk Files

• Files by Google: "In recent updates, there is bug coming while clicking on clean button it doesn't do anything. Developers please check & resolve asap." (3★, Google Play, US, Jul 2026)
• Files by Google: "I just updated your app today again. The button still doesn't work for the clean junk files." (1★, Google Play, US, Aug 2026)
• Phone Cleaner – Junk Files: "good app but takes too long to finish finding useless applications" (4★, Google Play, US, Dec 2023)
• Phone Cleaner – Junk Files: "Good app of useless files removal" (5★, Google Play, US, Aug 2025)

Picked from the slowness, crashes and bugs and the app not working or doing little themes, where the two differ most.

Should you choose Files by Google or Phone Cleaner – Junk Files?

On ratings alone, the two are close on ratings, so choose on price and on which features you need. If slowness, crashes and bugs is what worries you most, Phone Cleaner – Junk Files has the better record on it.