Is your iPhone storage constantly full? Do you find yourself scrolling through countless photos, only to realize many are duplicates? Duplicate photos not only waste precious storage space on your iPhone but also make your photo library cluttered and disorganized. Thankfully, Apple has made it incredibly easy to clear duplicate photos directly on your iPhone. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to reclaim storage and organize your memories.
In recent iOS updates, Apple introduced a built-in feature to identify and merge duplicate photos and videos, making it easier than ever to declutter your photo library. This feature, found within the Photos app, intelligently detects exact duplicates and even photos that are very similar, allowing you to merge them and keep only the best version.
Using the Duplicates Album to Clear Clutter
The most straightforward way to clear duplicate photos on your iPhone is by utilizing the “Duplicates” album. This feature automatically scans your photo library and groups together photos and videos it identifies as duplicates. Here’s how to use it:
-
Open the Photos App: Locate and tap the Photos app icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
-
Navigate to the Utilities Section: Once in the Photos app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen or tap on the “Albums” tab at the bottom, then scroll down to the “Utilities” section. Here, you will find the “Duplicates” album if your iPhone has detected any duplicate photos or videos.
iPhone showing Duplicates album under Utilities -
Access the Duplicates Album: Tap on the “Duplicates” album. You will see groups of duplicate photos and videos.
-
Review and Merge Duplicates: Tap on any group of duplicates. You’ll see the photos or videos identified as duplicates. Tap “Merge” to combine the duplicates.
-
Confirm Merge: A confirmation prompt will appear. Tap “Merge [Number] Items” to confirm the merge. When you merge duplicates, iPhone intelligently keeps the photo with the highest image quality and combines relevant data from all duplicates into a single photo. The other duplicate photos are then moved to the “Recently Deleted” album.
iPhone showing Merge option for duplicate photos
Benefits of Regularly Clearing Duplicate Photos
Clearing duplicate photos on your iPhone offers several significant benefits:
- Free Up Storage Space: Duplicate photos consume valuable storage space. Removing them can significantly free up space, allowing you to store more photos, videos, apps, and other files. This is especially beneficial for iPhones with limited storage capacity.
- Organize Your Photo Library: A photo library free of duplicates is much easier to navigate and manage. You’ll spend less time scrolling through similar images to find the photo you’re looking for.
- Improve iPhone Performance: While the impact might be subtle, having less data to process can contribute to slightly improved performance and faster backups.
- Simplify Sharing: Sharing photos becomes simpler when you don’t have to worry about sending duplicates to friends and family.
What Happens After Merging Duplicates?
After you merge duplicate photos, the redundant copies are not immediately and permanently deleted. Instead, they are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. This is a safety net, giving you 30 days to recover any photos you might have accidentally merged or deleted.
To permanently delete these photos and truly free up storage space, you need to:
- Go to the “Recently Deleted” Album: From the main “Albums” view in the Photos app, scroll down to “Utilities” and tap on “Recently Deleted”.
- Delete Permanently: You can choose to “Delete All” to remove all photos in the album permanently, or “Select” specific photos and then tap “Delete” to remove only the selected items permanently. Be aware that photos deleted from “Recently Deleted” cannot be recovered.
By regularly clearing your duplicate photos using the built-in “Duplicates” album, you can keep your iPhone organized, free up storage space, and enjoy a cleaner, more efficient photo library. Make it a habit to check the Duplicates album periodically to maintain a well-managed and optimized iPhone photo collection.
