Is your iPhone photo library cluttered with duplicate photos? It’s a common problem! Luckily, iPhones have a built-in feature to help you easily get rid of those unnecessary copies and free up storage space.
Utilizing the Duplicates Album in the Photos App
For iPhones running iOS 16 and later, Apple has made it incredibly simple to manage duplicate photos. The Photos app automatically identifies duplicates and groups them in a special “Duplicates” album. Here’s how to use it:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the Albums tab at the bottom.
- Scroll down to the Utilities section.
- You should see a Duplicates album. Tap on it.
- Review the identified duplicates. You can choose to Merge them, which combines the highest quality versions and deletes the rest, or you can delete them individually.
This feature intelligently compares photos and identifies exact duplicates or very similar photos, making the cleaning process efficient.
Manual Deletion (For Older iOS Versions or Specific Cases)
If you’re using an older iOS version that doesn’t have the Duplicates album, or if you prefer to manually review and delete photos, you can still do it. Simply go through your photo library and select the photos you want to delete. Tap the trash icon to remove them. Remember to also empty the “Recently Deleted” album to permanently remove them and free up space.
Keeping your photo library organized and free of duplicates is a great way to manage your iPhone storage and enjoy your memories without unnecessary clutter.
