How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone

Copies creep into every iPhone library: the same picture saved twice from a chat, a batch imported again, a burst of frames when you wanted one shot. Since iOS 16 the Photos app finds duplicate photos and videos by itself and lets you merge them for free.

On Android? Read how to delete duplicate photos on Android and Samsung.

Step 1: Merge copies in the Duplicates album

• Tap Merge on a set, then Merge [number] Items.
• Many sets at once: Select → Select All → Merge.

Photos keeps the best version with the data from all copies. The rest go to Recently Deleted.

Step 2: Keep the best frame of a burst

1. Tap the burst, then Burst (number). On iOS 16 to 18, Select.
2. Grey dots mark the frames your iPhone suggests.
3. Tick the frames to keep and tap Done.

Another way: compare copies side by side in Picmori

Nothing is deleted until you confirm. Groups come free in every chapter; the Duplicates mode with only groups is Premium.

Step 3: Get the space back

Otherwise copies wait there 30 days. Next: screenshots on iPhone or the whole photo library.

Questions about duplicate photos on iPhone

Why don't I see the Duplicates album on my iPhone?

The album needs iOS 16 or later (iPadOS 16.1 or later on iPad), and it appears only after your iPhone has indexed your library and found duplicates. Indexing runs while the iPhone is locked and connected to power, and for a large library it can take up to a few days. To check, open Photos, tap Library and scroll to the bottom: while indexing is running, a status message shows there. If indexing is done and there is still no Duplicates album, your iPhone has not found any duplicates.

Does merging duplicates delete them from iCloud?

If you use iCloud Photos, yes. A merge keeps one photo and moves the other copies to Recently Deleted, and with iCloud Photos a deletion on one device reaches every device signed in to the same Apple Account. The removed copies stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days, and while they are there they don't count toward your iCloud storage.

Can I undo a merge?

The copies a merge removes go to Recently Deleted, so you can bring them back within 30 days: open Recently Deleted under Utilities, tap View Album and unlock it, tap Select, choose the photos, tap the More button, then tap Recover. After 30 days, or once you delete them from Recently Deleted, they can't be recovered.

Does the Duplicates album work on iPad?

Yes, on iPadOS 16.1 or later. On iPadOS 26 and later, open Photos and tap Collections, then Utilities, then Duplicates. On iPadOS 16 to 18, open the sidebar by swiping from the left edge and find Duplicates under Utilities.

What counts as a duplicate in the Duplicates album?

Copies of the same photo or video, including a copy saved at a different resolution or in a different file format. An edited version of a photo, or a second take of the same scene from a slightly different angle, is a different photo, so it does not appear in the album.

How do I stop WhatsApp and Telegram from saving duplicate photos on iPhone?

In WhatsApp, open Settings, then Chats, and turn off Save to Photos (called Save to Camera Roll in older versions). In Telegram, open Settings, then Data and Storage, and turn off Save to Photos for private chats, groups and channels (Save Incoming Photos in older versions). Only new media is affected: photos already saved stay in your library.

My iPhone can't update to iOS 16. How do I find duplicates?

The Duplicates album needs iOS 16, which runs on iPhone 8 and later. On an iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 or the first iPhone SE, which stay on iOS 15, look through Library, All Photos: copies usually sit next to each other because they share a date. Tap Select, tap the extra copies and tap Delete.