Clearing out duplicates from your gallery is a smart move, it helps organize your photos and frees up storage at the same time. But is there a fast way to do it without deleting each copy manually? Good news – there is, and you’ve got more than one option.
Previously, the only option for managing files in the photo app involved manually deleting each picture. But, with every iOS update, Apple continues to add new features. With iOS 16, Apple introduced a built-in tool that lets you merge exact duplicate photos in just a few taps. However, it’s not perfect, it only works with identical copies, leaving near-duplicates untouched. So, what’s the best way to handle those? The most efficient solution is using a third-party app, and there are hundreds of them in the App Store. But how do you find one that actually works and isn’t just a scam?
Do not worry, as we will cover all the questions you may have about merging duplicate photos on your iPhone. We will explain the term “merge” and assess whether it really works as expected, demonstrate the steps to use the iOS utility for duplicates, and discuss specific cleaner applications.
What Does “Merge” Mean on iPhone?
First, let’s establish what “merge” actually is in the case of iOS’s duplicate photo feature. At first glance, it might look like it combines multiple duplicate photos on your iPhone into one, right? But no.
Instead, the utility keeps one copy from a group of duplicates and deletes the rest. When you tap “Merge,” iOS will automatically decide which picture to keep. Since the feature only works with exact duplicates, however, you don’t need to worry about deleting the wrong photo. Since duplicate photos are deleted rather than being combined into a single photo, this feature works to free up storage space on your iPhone.
As for third-party duplicate removal apps, they typically use the term “Delete” instead of “Merge.” But despite the naming difference, they work the same way – removing duplicates and keeping the best version.
How to Merge Duplicate Photos on iPhone
Now, it’s time to tackle the issue of duplicate photos. While there are several ways to merge duplicate photos on an iPhone quickly, we’ll concentrate on the two easiest methods: the built-in iOS utility for exact duplicates and a third-party app that’s even more versatile because it also handles near-duplicates.
Method 1: Use the iOS Native Function of Your iPhone
This feature is available on iOS 16 and later and only detects exact duplicates—usually photos that have been re-downloaded or saved multiple times. However, if you’ve taken similar shots with slight differences in angle or applied effects to one, this tool won’t recognize them as duplicates.
Step 1: Open the Photos app on your iPhone by tapping its icon on your home screen.
Step 2: Navigate downwards until reaching the Utilities section, then choose the album named Duplicates. This album automatically groups photos that the iOS system identifies as exact duplicates.
Step 3: Tap on each group of duplicates to view them side by side.
Step 4: For each group, you will see a ‘Merge’ button. Tap this button for the groups where you have decided which photos to merge. This action will keep one photo from the group, and all other files will move to the ‘Recently Deleted’ album.
You can also merge all duplicate pictures on your iPhone at once to make the process even faster. Just open the Duplicates album as mentioned earlier, tap Select at the top, then hit Select All in the top left corner. Finally, tap Merge at the bottom of the screen.
Method 2: Utilize Third-Party Duplicate Remover Apps
Third-party apps use more advanced algorithms that can detect not just exact duplicates, but also similar photos, like ones taken on the same day with slight changes in angle, lighting, or pose. Your iPhone likely has way more of these near-duplicates than exact ones, and clearing them out can free up a lot of storage.
Let’s take Clever Cleaner app as an example. This free app detects both duplicates and similar images, groups them, and picks the best shot from each set. If you don’t agree with its choice, you can manually select a different one. Plus, you can delete all copies in one tap or take your time and remove only the photos you no longer need.
Step 1: Download Clever Cleaner for your iPhone from the App Store.
Step 2: Launch it and allow access to the photo library. Once access is given, wait as the app completes the initial scan of your photos.
Step 3: Use the ‘Smart Cleanup’ tool to instantly clear duplicate and similar photos in one go.
Step 4: If you prefer to remove duplicates selectively, tap on any grouped photos. Check the boxes for the images you wish to delete and choose ‘Move to Trash.’
Step 5: The selected photos will move to the app’s trash. You can review these and, if necessary, restore pictures before final deletion. To delete them, slide the ‘Slide to Delete’ control. All marked copies will then move to the ‘Recently Deleted’ album on your iPhone.
A few more things to know about this app – it offers three additional features that can help you free up even more storage:
- Screenshots – identifies all screenshots on your iPhone and lets you delete them in bulk or selectively.
- Lives – converts Live Photos into standard still images (removing sound and motion) and gives you the option to delete the originals.
- Heavies – finds your largest videos and lets you review and delete them.
The steps for using these features are similar to what we’ve already covered, so you’ll be able to navigate them easily. But if you need more details, check out the app’s official website for additional guidance. You can also try other apps from the App Store. Many come with no cost upfront but often hold back basic features, leading to options to unlock more through paid subscriptions.
Don’t Forget to Empty the Recently Deleted Album
You may have noticed that at the end of the steps for both methods, there was a mention of the “Recently Deleted” album. This album holds all deleted photos and videos for 30 days before they’re permanently removed from your iPhone. During this time, you can restore any files if you change your mind. But keep in mind that these files still take up storage until they’re fully deleted. To free up space immediately, you can either wait a month or clear the album manually.
Step 1: Open the Photos app and navigate to the Recently Deleted folder. Access might require entering a password or using the Apple ID.
Step 2: In the top corner of the screen, find and tap the Select button.
Step 3: Choose whether to remove everything by selecting Delete All or pick specific photos to erase one by one.
Step 4: Finalize the action by confirming Delete From This iPhone. This guarantees the photos are permanently removed.
Tips and Considerations to Avoid Duplicates on Your iPhone
If you no longer wish to deal with cleaning duplicates or similar photos on your iPhone, you may not be able to completely avoid them. However, you can control several factors to minimize their occurrence:
- The most common cause of duplicates is downloading the same image multiple times. You have full control over this action, so take care not to download an image more than once.
- If you often edit photos, crop them, or apply effects, always save the edited result over the original. This practice prevents the creation of additional similar images.
- When you make new photos, especially multiple shots in quick succession, review them immediately. Delete any that you did not like or that did not turn out well.
These three steps are quite straightforward, and if you adhere to them, the number of duplicates on your iPhone will likely decrease. In the future, this will reduce the time needed to merge or delete them.
Final Words
And there you have it – your go-to guide for merging duplicates on your iPhone. If you think merging duplicates doesn’t free up much storage, think again, especially when using iPhone cleaner apps that can uncover even more duplicate images.
For maximum storage savings, don’t stop at duplicates. Take a look at screenshots, burst photos, Live Photos, and videos – managing these will help you free up even more space and keep your Photos app organized further.
FAQ
What happens when you merge duplicate photos on an iPhone?
When you merge duplicate photos on an iPhone, the system retains one copy of the photo and deletes the rest. This process helps to free up storage space while maintaining the best version of the image.
How can two identical photos be merged on an iPhone?
The iPhone lacks a built-in feature to fuse two photos into one. Its duplicate management tool is intended to keep a single copy while removing extras, not to merge them. To blend or merge photos into one, an app from the App Store can help. Photoshop Express, Pic Collage, and Canva offer ways to overlay, blend, or combine photos seamlessly.
What happens to the quality of the photo after merging?
The photo quality stays the same after merging. The iPhone keeps the best version by choosing the photo with the highest quality from the duplicates.
Can there be duplicate photos among the hidden images?
Yes, duplicate photos can be in your hidden album if you’ve manually added them there. However, tools designed to identify or handle duplicates, like the feature on iOS or apps made for this purpose, won’t work within the hidden album. To address this, it is necessary to remove the images from hiding first. After they appear in the main gallery, the built-in tool or an app can help merge or delete repeated photos.
Can I undo merge photos if I get it wrong?
If you merge photos and then, later on, realize that it was a mistake, then you can undo the move by visiting the ‘Recently Deleted’ album. All the deleted photos are saved in this album for 30 days so that you can recover any merged photo within this period.