Permissions and why they are needed
SpaceSweep asks for two permissions you grant yourself and uses one more that Android grants at install. This page says what each one allows and what SpaceSweep does with it.
SpaceSweep has no internet permission. Whatever it reads about your files stays on the phone, because it has no way to send anything anywhere.
All-files access
| Android name | All files access (Android 11 and later), or Storage (Android 8 to 10) |
| Needed for | Duplicate files, Junk files, Large files, and Clear app cache folders |
| Asked | On the home screen (Allow file access › Allow) or when you open one of those tools (Allow access) |
To find duplicates, junk and large files, SpaceSweep has to read every file in your phone's shared storage: photos, downloads, music, documents. To delete them, it needs permission to write there too. On Android 11 and later that is only possible with all-files access, which you turn on in a system settings page rather than a pop-up.
Tap Allow on the home screen card, or Allow access in a tool.
On Android 11 and later, Android opens its All files access page for SpaceSweep. Turn on the switch, then go back.
On Android 8 to 10, a pop-up asks to allow access to files. Tap Allow.
SpaceSweep checks again and the tool is ready.
Even with this permission, SpaceSweep never touches Android/data or Android/obb (other apps' private folders), never follows symbolic links, and never deletes anything you have not selected.
Usage access
| Android name | Usage access |
| Needed for | Cache sizes on the App cache screen, and the photos / videos / apps / other split on the home screen |
| Asked | App cache › Allow usage access, or See what's using space on the home screen |
Android only shares other apps' storage and cache sizes with apps that have usage access. Without it, the App cache list is empty and the home ring shows only used and free space.
Tap Allow usage access. Android opens its Usage access list.
Find SpaceSweep, open it and turn on the switch.
Go back to SpaceSweep.
List of installed apps
SpaceSweep also asks Android for the list of installed apps (QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES). Android grants this at install; there is no prompt. It is used to show app names and icons on the App cache screen, and to tell whether an installer file in your downloads is for an app you already have.
Turn a permission off
You can withdraw either permission at any time in Android Settings: search for All files access or Usage access, open SpaceSweep and turn the switch off. The tools that need it will ask again next time.