How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone (Tested on iOS 17)

Have you noticed too many duplicate photos in your iPhone’s gallery? This issue can overwhelm your photo library, making it hard to find the pictures you really want. Our guide offers solutions for identify and delete these extras. We discuss using the latest iOS 17 features, suggest user-friendly third-party apps, and provide ways to overcome deletion difficulties. The goal is to help you tidy up your photo collection for a more enjoyable photo gallery.

Why Duplicate Photos Appear on Your iPhone

Duplicate photos on an iPhone can be a source of confusion and clutter. If you understand the reasons obehind this common issue you may be able to avoid duplicates in future. Let’s examine the primary reasons why you might find yourself dealing with duplicate images on your device.

  • Cloud Syncing: Often, duplicates appear when multiple cloud services are in use. For instance, if you use both iCloud and Google Photos, the same photo might be uploaded from each service, creating duplicates.
  • Photo Sharing: Sharing photos between different devices or with other people can sometimes lead to unintentional duplicates. This happens particularly when photos are downloaded or saved multiple times.
  • Restoring from Backups: Restoring your iPhone from a backup can result in duplicates, especially if photos were previously backed up from multiple sources. This is common when switching to a new iPhone or after a factory reset.

To work with these duplicates on your iPhone, you can find them using built-in tools or third-party apps. Within iOS 17, Apple provides reliable way to find duplicate photos on your iPhone. This feature is designed to help users quickly identify and do something with duplicates in photo library. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using this feature:

  1. Access the Photos App: Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Navigate to the ‘Duplicates’ Album: iOS 17 automatically creates a ‘Duplicates’ album under the ‘Utilities’ section where it groups similar photos.'Duplicates' Album
  3. Review Detected Duplicates: Browse through the album to see the photos iOS 17 has identified as duplicates.Review Detected Duplicates
  4. Compare Photos: The app displays duplicates side-by-side for easy comparison, showing details like the date taken and location.

In the following section, we will guide you through the manual process of deleting duplicate photos, to help you maintain tidy library.

Step-by-Step Guide to Delete Duplicates Manually

For iOS 17 users who prefer to manually remove duplicate photos on their iPhone, the process is quite simple, although somewhat tedious. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you clean your photo library:

  1. Navigate to the ‘Duplicates’ Album: Do as described in previous section.
  2. Select Photos: Tap on each duplicate photo you wish to delete. Be sure to review each photo carefully before making a selection.select duplicate photos to delete
  3. Delete Photos: After selecting the duplicates, tap the trash icon to remove them from your library.
  4. Confirm Deletion: A prompt will appear asking for confirmation. Confirm to delete the selected photos.Confirm Deletion:

Deleting duplicates manually allows you to make decisions about which photos to keep. For more detailed guidance, you can refer to Apple’s official support page.

Automated Solution Using Third-Party Apps

For those looking for an even more streamlined solution to remove duplicate photos on the iPhone, third-party apps offer powerful tools. These apps not only detect duplicates but also provide options for automatic deletion, saving time and effort. Here are the advantages of using third-party apps:

  • Advanced Detection Algorithms: These apps often employ more sophisticated algorithms than native iOS features, which allows more reliable detection of duplicates.
  • Bulk Actions: With third-party apps, you can delete multiple duplicate photos simultaneously, which is a great time-saver for large photo libraries.
  • Additional Photo Management Features: Many of these apps come with extra features for organizing and optimizing your photo library.

When choosing an app, it’s important to select one that is trusted and efficient. For recommendations on the best apps to remove duplicate photos on iPhone, you can start from these:

  1. Gemini Photos: Gemini Photos is designed to simplify the management of your iPhone’s photo library by detecting duplicates and similar images. This user-friendly app suggests which duplicates might be redundant, offering an easy-to-navigate interface for reviewing and deleting them. Beyond duplicates, it also identifies blurry shots and screenshots, streamlining your entire photo collection.Gemini Photos
  2. Slidebox: Slidebox transforms photo organization on your iPhone into an engaging experience. It employs a swipe mechanism for sorting photos, making the process of identifying and deleting duplicates both quick and enjoyable. The app’s approach extends to album organization and direct photo deletion, appealing to those seeking a hassle-free photo management tool.Slidebox
  3. Remo Duplicate Photos Remover: Remo focuses on locating and deleting duplicate photos on iPhones. It scans the photo library, identifying duplicates and similar images, including blurry photos. The app is recognized for its straight-to-the-job functionality, offering a clear summary of potential storage space savings and a simple interface for managing duplicates.Remo Duplicate Photos Remover

Whether you prefer the simplicity of Slidebox, the thorough scanning of Gemini Photos, or the straightforward approach of Remo Duplicate Photos Remover, there’s an app tailored to your needs. By choosing the right tool, you can easily maintain a clutter-free gallery, full of memories you cherish the most.

What to Do When You Can’t Delete Duplicates

Encountering issues while trying to delete duplicate photos on your iPhone can be frustrating. Here are common scenarios and their solutions:

  • Syncing Issues: If photos are synced from a computer or cloud service, they need to be deleted from the original source. For iCloud, manage your photos via the iCloud website.
  • Storage Limitations: Lack of sufficient storage can hinder deletion. Try freeing up space by deleting unnecessary files or apps.
  • Restrictions in Place: Check if any restrictions are set on your device that might prevent deletion of photos.
  • Corrupted Files: If a photo is corrupted, it might not delete normally. In such cases, restarting your iPhone or using a computer to remove the photo might help.

For detailed guidance, Apple Support offers comprehensive assistance for managing your iPhone’s photo library.

Conclusion

In this article we have shown you how to use iOS 17’s features and various third-party apps to remove unnecessary photos. You also may have learned how to solve common problems that might prevent you from deleting duplicates. By following these tips, you can ensure your photo library is not only well-organized but also holds only the photos that matter most to you.

FAQ

Yes, if you’re using iCloud Photos, deleting a duplicate photo from your iPhone’s Photos app also removes it from iCloud. This feature ensures your photo library remains consistent across all devices connected to your iCloud account. However, it’s important to remember that this action is irreversible, so make sure you want to delete a photo before you do so.
Duplicates can reappear if the same photo is uploaded or synced more than once from different sources. To avoid this, it’s important to manage your photos consistently across all devices and cloud services. Regular checks and manual organizing of your photo library can also help in preventing the reoccurrence of duplicates.
Deleting duplicate photos does not impact the quality of the remaining images in your photo library. When you remove a duplicate, you simply eliminate a redundant copy; the original photo retains its original resolution and quality. It’s a process of cleaning up your library without compromising the quality of your photo collection.
Preventing duplicates involves careful management of your photo imports and syncs. Avoid syncing the same photos from multiple devices or cloud services. Regularly organizing and reviewing your photo library helps too. Additionally, some photo management apps provide settings to prevent duplicates during import, which can be useful for maintaining a cleaner library from the start.
Yurii Kulynych
Yurii Kulynych is a skilled professional who continues to work in Quality Assurance (QA) for InsanelyMac while also starting to write articles. He has a strong eye for detail and extensive experience in ensuring content quality, especially in areas like data recovery, understanding macOS/iOS, and storage solutions for Apple devices. Yurii excels in writing easy-to-follow guides and putting together helpful toolkits.
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