How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone in 2021: Cleaning Up The Mess
Duplicate photos take up unnecessary storage space and make it difficult to manage your photos app. In this article, we share some tried-and-tested ways to easily remove duplicate images on your iPhone.
— Last Updated: 2021-08-30T01:59:28+00:00
Knowing how to delete duplicate photos on iPhone devices is knowledge worth having. We’re all guilty of syncing photos more than once, or taking too many similar photos that are almost identical. Duplicate photos quickly take up much needed storage space, both on our devices and in the cloud. The question is: how do you remove them? More importantly, how do you do it quickly?
Key Takeaways:
- Duplicate images can happen due to syncing errors or syncing folders multiple times — or simply taking too many photos of the same thing.
- You can remove duplicates with third-party apps (we recommend Gemini Photos) or by doing it manually.
- Removing duplicates allows you to free up more storage on your iPhone.
Thankfully, there are some shortcuts you can take to delete duplicates in no time at all. In this article, we’ll take you through your options, help you remove the photos you want to delete and keep the ones you want to save. (If you use Android, read our guide on how to remove Google Photos duplicates.)
You can remove duplicate photos for free by following the steps below to remove them manually.
At the time of writing, Apple Photos doesn’t offer support to identify duplicate and similar photos. To do it through the photos app, you’ll need to follow the manual process below.
There are a couple of ways to delete duplicate images. You can use a third-party app (we recommend Gemini Photos) or delete them manually on your iPhone.
You shouldn’t have issues deleting duplicate photos. If you’re experiencing technical issues with your iPhone, you can restart your device. If you still experience problems, you can delete images through iCloud on your desktop.
Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone
You have two ways to delete duplicate images: the long, tedious way and the quick, effortless way. Now, before you say “we want to complete the process quickly!” there’s something to consider.
The quick way involves the use of third-party applications scanning your photos. If you’re not overly concerned about this, then it’s the way to go.
However, if you consider yourself privacy conscious (read our thoughts on Apple’s new privacy move), you may not want third-party apps snooping through your iPhone photos. If that’s the case, you will have to manually delete your photos in your camera roll. We’ll take you through both processes.
Delete Duplicate Photos Using the Gemini Photos App
We’ve had the pleasure of testing many third-party applications that help remove duplicate iPhone photos. The best for removing images from your photo library is Gemini Photos. You can install the app directly from the app store and the steps below show you how.
Gemini also identifies similar photos. These are photos that are not identical, but look alike. The app isn’t always 100 percent accurate with this function. However, if you want to remove similar photos, you can follow the same process above but by accessing the “similar” folder.
- Install the App and Allow Access
After you install the app, it will ask you for permission to access your photos. We recommend you select “allow access to all photos” to make the process as quick as possible.
- Open the App to Begin Scanning
One of the best features of Gemini Photos is how easy it is to scan your device for duplicates. Simply open the app to begin scanning. Once the scan is complete, open the “duplicates” folder.
- Select the Group of Photos
The app automatically puts each group of duplicates into a separate folder. Tap the folder to access the group of duplicate photos.
- Tap the Photos You Want to Delete
Once in the folder, tap the photos at the bottom of the screen that you wish to delete. You then need to press “X” in the top-left corner to be presented with the delete button.
- Press “Delete”
After selecting the photographs you no longer want, tap “delete” to finish the process.
Delete Duplicate iPhone Photos Manually Using Apple Photos
If you prefer not to use a third-party app to remove photos on your iPhone, you’ll need to delete them manually through the photos app. Although straightforward, the process can be time consuming, depending on how many photos you have stored in your photo library. Follow the process below to delete duplicates and free up storage space on your iPhone.
If you backup your iPhone to iCloud, deleted images will also be removed from the cloud.
- Open the Photos App
Locate the photos app on your iPhone and tap it to access your images.
- Select All Photos
At the bottom of the photos app, your images will be divided into “years,” “months,” “days” and “all photos.” Select “all photos” to see each photo you have taken.
- Identify Duplicates and Press “Select”
Scroll through your photos and identify your duplicate photos. When you reach a group of images you want to delete, tap “select” in the top-right corner.
- Tap Each Photo You Want to Delete
Once you have decided which photos you want to remove from your iPhone, tap each one to select them. A small tick will appear in the bottom-right corner of the photos that you have selected.
- Tap the Trash Can Icon
Press the trash can icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen. When prompted, tap “delete photos” to remove the images from your iPhone.
You will need to repeat the above steps for each group of duplicate photos you wish to delete.
Why Are There Duplicate Photos On Your iPhone?
The main reason you have duplicate photos on your iPhone is down to you. We’re all guilty of what they call in the photo industry “spraying and praying.” Rather than taking one photo of a scene we like, we take multiple photos and hope one of them works out. This is especially true for those who like to take selfies on a regular basis.
A top tip is to slow the process down when you’re taking a photo on your iPhone. Be patient, wait for the right moment and when everything looks good, then take the shot.
Final Thoughts: Remove Duplicate Photos on iPhone
Deleting photos on your iPhone can be tedious. However, the process allows you to better manage your photos in the future. It also means you can free up storage space (read our best cloud storage options for iPhone) on your iPhone, which allows you to take even more photographs.
So, if you’ve been putting off the process for a while, take action now. Deleting duplicate photos will be a huge relief and help you keep your iPhone-house in order.
How did you find this how-to guide? Did it help you easily remove duplicate photos? Maybe there’s a third-party app you use that you would like to share? Let us know in the comment section below. Thanks for reading.