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

Are duplicate photos on your iPhone making things messy? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Starting with iOS 16, it’s now easier than ever to merge duplicate photos on an iPhone. In this guide, we’ll introduce some handy ways to deal with those repeats, from native options to some third-party apps that come with cool additional features for your photos. What are you waiting on? Dig in!

How to Find Duplicate Photos on iPhone for Merging

The ability to find duplicate photos on the iPhone is the first step for users who want to merge duplicate photos on the iPhone. To utilize modern iOS capabilities (including current iOS 17 and soon to come iOS 18) for identifying and categorizing duplicate photos, follow these steps:

  1. Launch the Photos app and access the ‘Albums’ tab.
  2. Look for the ‘Duplicates’ album under the utilities section.
  3. the 'Albums' tabThis album automatically groups identical or similar photos.
  4. Duplicates albumExamine each set of duplicates and decide to either merge or delete them.

Now that you understand how to find those duplicate photos, let’s move on to the practical steps. In the next section, we will guide you through all the ways to merge duplicate photos on iPhone, so you can make the most out of your phone’s memory.

Methods to Merge Duplicate Photos on iPhone

Modern versions of iOS provide an easy way to merge duplicate photos making the process real simple, hovewer even then there’s some nuance to keep in mind. Look no furhter than these three methods for merging duplicate photos on your iPhone, wich focus on both simplicity and result.

Method 1: Merge All Duplicate Photos Within Photos App

For those who want a quick solution, iOS’s built-in Photos app has really simple process to merge same photos on iphone.

  1. Locate the Duplicates: As described in previous section of this article navigate to the Duplicates album
  2. Merge Duplicates: Next to each pair of duplicate images, you’ll see a Merge button. Tap this button for each pair you wish to merge.
  3. Confirm Your Action: After tapping the Merge button, confirm the action to complete the process.ьукпу фдд шт сфеупщкн

Method 2: Merge Apple Photos Duplicates Selectively

For a more controlled approach, iOS allows you to merge similar photos selectively:

  1. Review Each Group of Duplicates: In the Duplicates folder, take the time to review each group of similar photos.
  2. Select Photos to Merge: Choose individual photos or groups that you want to merge.Choose individual photos
  3. Merge Selected Photos: After Selecting photos you wish to merge tap on the Merge (n) button on the bottom of the screen where n – represents the number of selected duplicate photos.

Method 3: Use Third-Party Apps to Merge Similar and Duplicate Photos

If you need more advanced features, several third-party apps provide better control and additional features. Consider exploring these applications:

  • Gemini Photos: Gemini Photos stands out for its user-friendly interface and strong ability to detect duplicate and similar photos. It scans your iPhone’s photo library, identifying duplicates, similar shots, and even blurry images. The app allows you to review and delete unwanted photos, wich helps to free up your storage space. Gemini Photos’ intuitive design makes the process quick and straightforward, appealing to users who prefer a hassle-free experience in photo management.Gemini Photos
  • Remo Duplicate Photos Remover: Remo offers a focused approach to identifying and removing duplicate images on your iPhone. It scans your library and groups duplicates together, providing a clear view of what’s taking up space. The app allows for easy deletion of these duplicates, helping to streamline your photo collection. Remo is particularly effective for users who prioritize a simple, direct solution for duplicate photo management.Remo Duplicate Photos Remover
  • Slidebox – Photo Manager: Slidebox integrates with your iPhone’s Photos app, offering a seamless experience in organizing and managing photos, including handling duplicates. With Slidebox, you can quickly swipe through photos, compare duplicates side by side, and discard unnecessary images. The app also supports GIFs and offers direct printing options in select regions. This app is ideal for those seeking an all-in-one photo organizer with a focus on ease of use and direct integration with iOS.

These methods allow you to effectively manage your photo library by merging duplicate photos, whether using the native features of iOS or opting for advanced third-party applications.

How to Prevent Duplicate Photos in the Future

While it’s important to merge duplicate photos on iPhone regularly, prevention is always better than cure. Taking few simple steps can save you time and make sure that your photo library remains a well-organized collection.

  • Regular Library Audits: Periodically review your photo library. Delete any unwanted or duplicate photos manually. This habit prevents the build-up of duplicates over time.
  • Effective Use of Cloud Storage: Utilize cloud storage services like iCloud or Google Photos. These platforms often have features to avoid uploading duplicates. For details on setting up and using iCloud, visit Apple’s iCloud setup guide.
  • Photo Import Preferences: When importing photos from external devices, pay attention to import settings. Avoid importing the same photos multiple times.
  • Organize as You Go: Create a habit to organize new photos into albums and to delete duplicates immediately after an event or a photo session.
  • Utilize Duplicate Detection Apps: Regularly use apps like Gemini Photos or Slidebox to scan for and remove duplicates. This can be part of your routine library audits.

By adopting these practices, you can maintain a duplicate free photo library on your iPhone, making it easier to manage and enjoy your photos without the clutter or distractions.

Conclusion

Wrapping up, to keep your iPhone’s photo library free of duplicates is simpler than it seems. With a few steps in modern iOS and some helpful apps, you can quickly merge and tidy up those duplicates. But don’t forget, regular checks and smart photo importing can stop duplicates before they start. Stick to these tips and your photo collection will stay neat and easy to navigate, making looking back at your memories a breeze.

FAQ

Mergingis the the process of identifying and combining multiple copies of the same photo into one superior version. This process eliminates redundant images saving you some storage space. During merging, the system evaluates the quality of each photo and retains the one with the best clarity, resolution, and overall appeal, so that the finest version is preserved.
Regular checks for duplicate photos, ideally every few months or after major photography events, are key to maintaining an organized library. This routine helps you avoid a buildup of duplicates and makes managing your library less overwhelming. With each review, you’ll likely have fewer duplicates, making the process more efficient over time.
Merging duplicates in iOS is designed to preserve photo quality. The system smartly keeps the highest quality photo from your duplicates, ensuring you don’t lose important details or clarity in your images.
Merging duplicate photos indeed saves space on your iPhone. It eliminates multiple copies of the same image, freeing up storage previously occupied by these duplicates. This practice is particularly useful to free up storage on devices with limited space.
Indeed, when photos are merged, the duplicate copies are deleted, and only the selected best version remains. After all this action designed to reduce clutter in your photo library by removing surplus images.
The selection of the photo to keep usually depends on its quality. The system automatically analyzes factors such as resolution, focus, and lighting to choose the best image. However, some third-party applications provide the option to manually review and select the preferred photo, offering more control over the final outcome.
In the merging process, only the primary photo’s edits, captions, and any applied filters are retained. If there are unique modifications or annotations on the duplicate photos that you wish to keep, you need to manually apply these to the primary photo before merging.
It depends. Standard merging tool might not recognize them as duplicates. Specialized photo management apps are capable of identifying and suggesting merges for photos that are not exactly alike but are very similar, based on composition, subjects, and other photographic elements.
During merge, iOS selects most full metadata among all duplicates, including the date, time, and location where it was taken. Unfortunately, any unique metadata associated with the rest of images is discarded.
If you ever have second thoughts about a merge, no worries! The photos that weren’t kept in the merge are moved to the ‘Recently Deleted’ album, giving you a chance to bring them back if needed. Also some apps offer an immediate “undo” feature right after merging, allowing you to quickly revert the action if you change your mind. But, this option might only be available for a short period after the merge.
Several apps are designed to automatically identify and merge duplicate photos within your library. These tools scan through your images, detect duplicates based on similarity metrics, and can either automatically merge them or prompt you for confirmation before proceeding.
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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