How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone

Since iOS 16, the Photos app finds duplicate photos and videos for you and puts them in a Duplicates album. You don’t need an app for exact copies. This guide covers the built-in way first, then what it doesn’t catch.

Delete duplicates with the Duplicates album

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   Step 1: Open Photos

   Open the Photos app and tap Collections.

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   Step 2: Go to Duplicates

   Scroll to Utilities and tap Duplicates. Each row is one set of copies.

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   Step 3: Merge one set

   Tap Merge next to a set, then confirm with Merge [number] Items.

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   Step 4: Or merge everything

   Tap Select, then Select All, then Merge, and confirm.

What “Merge” actually does

Merging does more than delete copies. According to Apple, your iPhone combines the highest image quality and relevant data into the one photo it keeps. The other copies move to Recently Deleted, where you can recover them for 30 days.

That also means merging doesn’t free up space on your iPhone right away: the copies stay in Recently Deleted until they expire or you delete them there. In iCloud, Apple says items in Recently Deleted don’t count toward your storage.

Get the space back now

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   Step 1: Open Recently Deleted

   In Photos, tap Collections, then Utilities › Recently Deleted. Tap View Album and unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID.

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   Step 2: Delete permanently

   Tap Select, then the More button and Delete All, and confirm with Delete from All Devices. This can’t be undone, so check the album first; our Recently Deleted guide shows how to recover items instead.

Why the Duplicates album is missing or empty

• There are no duplicates. Apple hides the album when your library has no duplicate photos or videos.
• Detection is still running. iPhone finds duplicates automatically in the background, and Apple notes it can take some time. In our iOS 27 test, while Photos was still processing the library, Duplicates showed 0 items and Photos suggested keeping the iPhone on power overnight to finish.
• Your iPhone runs an older iOS. The Duplicates album needs iOS 16 or later. Check under Settings › General › About.

Duplicates vs. similar photos

Apple describes the Duplicates album as a place for duplicate photos and videos. It isn’t a tool for choosing the best of several similar shots of the same moment, like a row of near-identical selfies or a burst.

CleanX

Clear similar shots with CleanX

CleanX scans your library on your iPhone and groups both exact duplicates and photos that look alike. In each group it suggests the shot to keep.

• Exact duplicates and similar photos in one place
• A suggested best shot in every group
• Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted, so you can still recover them

Before you delete

• If you use iCloud Photos, deleting on one device deletes on all of them. Back up anything you’re unsure about.
• In an iCloud Shared Photo Library, anyone in the library can delete shared photos, and a photo someone else deletes disappears for you too.
• Keep an eye on Recently Deleted for a few days before emptying it if you merged a lot at once.