To delete duplicate photos on an iPhone, start with the Duplicates album in Photos (Photos > Collections > Utilities > Duplicates, iOS 16 or later) and merge what it finds. Apple's documentation says Photos detects duplicate photos and videos, but it does not say whether that includes similar shots, such as the frames of a burst or two takes of the same scene. For those, review bursts frame by frame in Photos, go through the rest by hand with Select, or use an app that compares photos by how they look. Everything you delete goes to Recently Deleted for 30 days, so empty that album to get the space back.
The steps below are for iOS 27. Where iOS 26 or earlier differs, we say so.
Method 1: Merge duplicates in Photos
- Open Photos, go to Collections, scroll down to Utilities and tap Duplicates. On iOS 16 and 17, Duplicates sits under Albums > Utilities.
- Tap Merge on a set, or tap Select, choose sets (or Select All) and tap Merge, then confirm.
Merge keeps one copy of each set and moves the others to Recently Deleted.
You can test what Duplicates covers on your own phone. If near-identical shots from the same moment show up there as pairs, Photos is handling them. If they do not, use Methods 2 to 4.
If the album is missing, your iPhone may still be indexing the library. Apple says detection runs while the iPhone is locked and connected to power, and it takes anywhere from a short while to several days. If indexing has finished and the album still does not appear, your iPhone found no duplicates.
Method 2: Pick the best frames of a burst
A burst is the run of frames the iPhone takes when you swipe the shutter button left (or hold Volume Up, if you turned that on in Settings > Camera). It is a common source of near-identical photos.
- Open the burst in Photos and tap the Burst button at the top left. It shows the number of frames, such as Burst (19), and opens the Choose Favorites screen.
- Gray dots under the thumbnails mark the frames iOS suggests keeping.
- Tap the circle in the bottom-right corner of every frame you want to keep as its own photo, then tap the blue checkmark at the top right. The X at the top left cancels.
To delete a whole burst you do not want, open it and tap the trash button.
Method 3: Review by hand
For similar shots that are not bursts, such as three takes of the same group photo, open the day in your Library, tap Select, tap the shots you do not want and tap the trash button. When you compare takes, zoom in on faces and edges: eyes open, sharp focus and clean framing usually decide which one to keep.
This works, but it scales badly. A library with thousands of near-identical shots takes hours.
Method 4: Let an app group them
Disclosure: PhotoGO AI is our app. It finds similar shots with Apple's Vision framework: every photo gets a numeric feature print, and the app compares those prints with each other. A burst, or two takes of the same scene, land in one group even when the crop or the light differs slightly. Inside each group the app suggests the sharpest, best-lit shot to keep, and you decide what stays. It also catches blurry frames by measuring edge contrast with Apple's Accelerate library.
Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted like any other deletion, so empty it afterwards. Our guide to iPhone storage that stays full after deleting photos covers that step. Scanning and sorting are free. The number of free deletions is limited, and PhotoGO Pro unlocks unlimited cleanups.
You can finish every method above without an app. An app changes how long it takes, not what is possible.
If iCloud Photos is on
Merge sends the extra copies to Recently Deleted, and Apple says that deleting a photo with iCloud Photos on deletes it on all your devices. So plan for the extra copies to disappear everywhere, and look through Duplicates before you merge a large batch. You can check whether iCloud Photos is on in Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos; the switch is called Sync this iPhone.
Looking to make a copy instead?
If you wanted to duplicate a photo rather than remove duplicates, open the photo, tap the more button (three dots) at the top right and choose Duplicate.
FAQ
Does the iPhone have a built-in way to find similar photos?
iOS 16 and later has a Duplicates album, and Apple's documentation says Photos detects duplicate photos and videos. It does not say whether that includes photos that only look alike, so open your own Duplicates album and see what it lists.
How do I delete burst photos I don't need?
Open the burst in Photos, tap Burst, mark the frames you want to keep with the circle in each frame's corner and tap the checkmark. To remove the whole burst, open it and tap the trash button.
Will Merge delete my only copy of a photo?
No. Merge keeps one copy of each set of duplicates and moves the others to Recently Deleted, where they stay for 30 days.
How does PhotoGO AI choose which similar photo to keep?
It groups photos by visual similarity and suggests the sharpest, best-lit shot in each group. The suggestion is a starting point, and nothing is deleted unless you choose it.
Why can't I see the Duplicates album?
Duplicates needs iOS 16 or later. Your iPhone has to index the library first, which happens while it is locked and connected to power and can take several days. After indexing, the album appears only if duplicates were found.
How do I delete or remove duplicate photos on iPhone?
Open Photos > Collections > Utilities > Duplicates (iOS 16 or later) and tap Merge on a set, or select several sets and merge them together. Merge keeps one copy and moves the others to Recently Deleted, where they stay for 30 days. Duplicates that Photos does not list, such as similar shots, need a manual pass or an app.
Does merging duplicate photos delete them from iCloud?
With iCloud Photos on, yes. Merge moves the extra copies to Recently Deleted, and Apple says a photo deleted on one device is deleted on every device signed in to the account. They stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
How do I duplicate a photo on iPhone?
Open the photo, tap the three-dot button at the top right and choose Duplicate.
