I’m running out of space on my iPhone because I have so many duplicate photos. I think I accidentally saved or imported them multiple times and now it’s a mess. What’s the best way to find and remove duplicate photos to free up space? Thanks!
Ever find your iPhone’s photo gallery overflowing with duplicates or near-identical shots? Cleaning out all that extra clutter might sound like a Herculean task, but there’s a simple trick to make your photo library feel fresh again—without spending a dime! Sure, iOS offers ways to deal with duplicates, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to tackle all those ‘almost-the-same’ photos (come on, we all have them), Reddit users have crowned Clever Cleaner as their trusted go-to app. No fees, no catches—just clean photos and extra storage space.
Quick Guide: How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone
Step-by-Step Breakdown:
-
Download Clever Cleaner
First things first, hit up the App Store and grab the app. Here’s the download link for easy access: Free Clever Cleaner App. -
Grant Full Access to Your Photo Library
Let the app analyze your gallery. Already feeling nervous about security? Rest easy. I tried it myself, and everything stayed secure—promise! -
Let Things Scan
Depending on the size of your photo library, the AI might need anywhere from 2 to 6 minutes to do its magic. Sit back, maybe grab a coffee—no heavy lifting required.
-
Review the Findings
After the scan, the app groups your photos into clusters of similar images. It’ll save the best ones while flagging the rest for deletion. Got trust issues? Don’t worry—you’ll have a chance to approve everything before hitting delete. -
Smart Cleanup Activation
Time to seal the deal. Tap ‘Smart Cleanup’ to remove duplicates, then clear out your trash in the Photos app to finalize. Voilà! Your gallery just got a major glow-up.
Mission Accomplished: I cleared an embarrassing 11GB of duplicates in one go!
Extra Resources to Make Your Life Easier
Looking for more tips, tricks, or alternative methods? These links are absolute lifesavers:
- MacGasm’s 4 Easy Methods for Cleaning Duplicate Photos
- Reddit: Hacks for Deleting iPhone Photo Duplicates
- Apple Community Discussion on Handling Duplicates
- Insightful Reddit Thread on Clever Cleaner
- InsanelyMac: Get Rid of Photo Clutter
- Watch This YouTube Guide: Removing Duplicate Photos
- Full Storage? Reddit Has the Fix
Don’t let your camera roll keep you awake at night! Whether you’re reclaiming storage for more vacation snaps, apps, or music, trimming the fat in your photo library will instantly give your device a little breathing room. Happy cleaning!
3 Likes
If you’re drowning in duplicate photos, you’re not alone – it’s like the iPhone’s sadistic little prank on anyone who loves snapping pics (or accidentally saves the same meme 14 times). While @mikeappsreviewer suggests using the Clever Cleaner app—which sounds cool for AI-driven cleanup—personally, I think you can manage this without downloading extra apps if you’d rather not rely on a third-party tool. So, here’s my alternative route:
Manual Method (For the Brave Souls)
-
iOS Built-In Duplicate Finder:
Since iOS 16, there’s a feature in the Photos app (under Albums > Utilities > Duplicates) that auto-detects exact duplicate images. Merge them easily, no app required! Downside? It won’t find ‘almost identical’ pictures (those 15 shots of your dog blinking slightly differently). -
Sorting Albums by Size/Date:
Go to Albums and focus on large/high-size images. Chances are your duplicates or unnecessary shots are those big files hogging space! -
Screenshot Purge:
Admit it, your screenshots folder is a disaster zone. Go to Albums > Screenshots and mass-delete pics you’ll never revisit. (That Starbucks app QR code from 2019? Bye.) -
Manual Scanning (Painful but Effective):
Yeah, it’s tedious. Scroll through your Recents album. When you see duplicates or similar shots, delete as you go. It’s like meditation, but angrier.
Now, will this take more time than Clever Cleaner? Absolutely. Will it make you question your life’s priorities? Likely. But hey, you could save storage space and your data stays on lockdown.
But If Time Is Money…
If sorting through photos manually makes you want to eat your phone, then @mikeappsreviewer might have a point—using something like Clever Cleaner can speed things up big time. With AI to sort duplicates and similar shots, it’s efficient. That app’s scanning and ‘Smart Cleanup’ feature does sound tempting if you don’t wanna babysit your albums. Personally, I’d still review what AI wants to delete because trusting a bot with my memories feels a little… risky? But hey—that’s just me.
In conclusion: If you’re a control freak like me, go manual and use iOS tools. If your time is better spent, the Clever Cleaner app could be your hero. Just don’t blame me if AI decides to delete your favorite blurry concert shot!
Ugh, duplicate photos… the modern-day equivalent of accidentally printing the same page 15 times in the library. We’ve all been there. Clearing them up isn’t that bad, but let me throw in a slightly different perspective here.
First, I see @mikeappsreviewer swears by the Clever Cleaner app—makes sense if you’re into fast, AI-driven solutions. The app seems cool for catching both exact duplicates and those ‘nearly identical’ photos that @vrijheidsvogel mentioned could slip past iOS’s built-in tools. I get it, time is money, and AI is the future, blah blah. But AI is not infallible, and if you’re a control freak (hi, it’s me), just downloading another app to rummage through my photo library doesn’t feel great.
Let’s consider some other ways, though:
-
Transfer Photos to a Computer
Why mess around on your phone screen when you can supercharge the process? Import your photos to a Mac/PC and use software like Gemini 2 (free-ish) or other desktop tools. They’re made for this exact problem. Plus, it’ll give you a big-screen view of what is worth keeping. -
iCloud Cleanup
If you use iCloud, sign in via a browser and do your deletions there—it’s sometimes faster and easier to sort large batches. Pro tip: Shift-click is your best friend for mass selection, but don’t blame me if you accidentally delete your anniversary pics. -
Outsource It
Hear me out: If you REALLY can’t deal, bribe a sibling, friend, or techy coworker to do it for you. Say it’s “good karma” or promise pizza payment—whatever works. They’ll likely be faster than you are because there’s no sentimental attachment to your 13 blurry Eiffel Tower shots.
Now, manual deleting like @vrijheidsvogel suggests? Yeah, it’s possible… but only if you want to dedicate the next 6 hours hating your past self for every unnecessary screenshot you took of your grocery list or memes you hoarded. Unless your photos app resembles a war zone, you’re probably better off not spiraling into perfectionism here.
So bottom line: Decide what’s more important—time or total control. If you’re fine with trusting tech, Clever Cleaner looks like a solid option. If you’re paranoid or just weirdly attached to your messy photo collection, roll up your sleeves and dive in manually (or transfer to a computer for extra power). Either way, let’s not pretend like you need all 47 identical selfies.
If duplicate photos are your nemesis, you’ve got quite a few ways to deal with them. First off, I agree with the others that the Clever Cleaner app is slick for quick, AI-powered cleanup. It’s user-friendly and free, but here’s the catch: giving full access to your photo library might not sit well with everyone, especially if you’re privacy-conscious. On the plus side, it’s a great pick if you want an automated way to handle duplicates plus similar shots in bulk without draining hours of your life. The con? AI is never perfect—it might misjudge what you want to keep, so you could spend extra time double-checking.
Comparatively, @vrijheidsvogel leaning towards iOS’s built-in tools is the way to go if you’re into the whole ‘no extra app’ vibe, but as many have realized, this method doesn’t always catch similar-looking shots. And what @caminantenocturno said about transferring to a computer—solid advice for control freaks (me included), though it takes more effort. Gemini 2 is excellent, but not everyone wants to fuss with desktop software or pay for premium features.
Here’s an under-the-radar tip: organize your photo cleanups into themes. For instance, dedicate one week to deleting random screenshots and another to blurry or old event duplicates. I’ve found it less overwhelming when split into chunks rather than one colossal purge.
If you don’t mind a manual approach but want something more efficient than scrolling for hours, another competitor like Remo Duplicate Photos Remover may fit. Similar approach, no AI mistakes; however, less flashy compared to Clever Cleaner’s interface.
Ultimately, if time > effort, Clever Cleaner wins hands down. For those who trust no one, a manual deletion method or desktop-level control is ideal. And yes, maybe stop saving every meme. Your storage will thank you.