How to find and delete duplicate photos on iPhone

Your iPhone already finds duplicate photos for free. Open the Photos app, tap Collections, tap Utilities, then tap Duplicates, and tap Merge on each set. The Duplicates album is for copies of the same photo, so similar shots taken moments apart, blurry photos and photos where someone blinked need another approach.

Updated 19 October 2026. Menu paths checked against Apple Support for iOS 27.

How do I delete duplicates with the Photos app?

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Tap Collections. On iOS 18 there is no Collections button, so skip this step.
  3. Tap Utilities, then tap Duplicates.
  4. Tap Merge on a set, then tap Merge [number] Items to confirm.
  5. To merge many sets at once, tap Select, tap Select on each set or tap Select All, then tap Merge.

Merging keeps one photo. Apple says it combines the highest image quality and relevant data into that photo. The other copies move to Recently Deleted, where you can recover them for 30 days. Sources: iPhone User Guide and Delete photos on your iPhone or iPad.

Why don't I see the Duplicates album?

Full checklist: Duplicates album not showing on iPhone.

What does the Duplicates album miss?

Duplicates is built for copies: the same photo or video in your library more than once. Apple doesn't publish the exact matching rules. These won't show up there:

For these you can scroll through your library and delete by hand, or use an app that looks for them.

How do I find similar, blurry and closed-eye photos with PhotoSlimmer?

PhotoSlimmer is a photo cleaner for iPhone and Android that finds duplicate, similar, blurry and closed-eye photos. It’s on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android, and the steps below use the iPhone app. All analysis runs on your phone using an AI model built into the app. Nothing is uploaded.

  1. Install PhotoSlimmer from the App Store. It needs an iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later.
  2. Allow access to your photos when iOS asks.
  3. Start a scan. The app makes zero network requests while it scans.
  4. Open Similar Photos. Duplicates and near-identical shots taken moments apart, like bursts and retakes, are grouped together. Keep the one you like and select the rest.
  5. Check the blurry and closed-eye categories. Every candidate is a suggestion, so look before you select.
  6. Tap Delete. iOS shows its own confirmation, and deleted photos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days.

PhotoSlimmer never deletes anything on its own and never pre-selects photos. Scanning and reviewing are free and unlimited, and you can delete up to 50 photos a day for free. The limit resets at local midnight. A one-time in-app purchase called Unlimited removes the limit ($9.99 in the US). There is no subscription.

Detection isn't perfect. We haven't published an accuracy number because there is no independent benchmark yet. See the About page for how it works and the Privacy Policy for what it does with data (nothing leaves your iPhone).

Get PhotoSlimmer on the App Store

On Android? Get PhotoSlimmer on Google Play.

Frequently asked questions

Does iPhone have a built-in duplicate photo finder?

Yes. Starting with iOS 16, the Photos app puts duplicate photos and videos in a Duplicates album under Utilities. On iOS 26 and later, open Photos, tap Collections, tap Utilities, then tap Duplicates.

Where do merged duplicates go?

Photos keeps one photo that combines the highest image quality and relevant data, and moves the other copies to Recently Deleted. You can recover them from there for 30 days.

Does the Photos app find similar or blurry photos?

Not that Apple documents. The Duplicates album is for copies of the same photo, and Apple's list of Utilities collections has nothing for blurry or closed-eye photos. If you shot in burst mode, you can keep only the frames you want from the burst view.

Can my iPhone delete duplicate photos automatically?

No. The Photos app collects duplicates in the Duplicates album, but nothing is merged until you tap Merge on a set, or select sets and tap Merge. PhotoSlimmer doesn't delete anything automatically either.

Will PhotoSlimmer delete photos automatically?

No. PhotoSlimmer never deletes anything on its own and never pre-selects photos. Every deletion goes through the iOS system confirmation, and deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.

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