There are a few differences between managing duplicate photos in iCloud versus managing them strictly on your local device. Unfortunately, these differences can lead to inconsistent results when it comes to iOS’ ability to identify duplicates–especially if iCloud sync is involved.
So, we created a guide specifically on how to find and delete duplicate photos in iCloud, using an iPhone, a Mac, and a Windows PC. We also break down how and why some duplicates aren’t detected by iOS and iCloud, along with how to resolve these issues.
Table of Contents
Can iCloud Photos Detect Duplicates?
Yes, the Photos app and iCloud Photos have built-in functions to detect duplicate photos. Aside from the Duplicates album found in the Photos app, attempting to upload duplicates to iCloud will also prompt a warning.
However, what varies is how well the detection works in different situations. There are several factors that affect whether or not certain photos are flagged as duplicates, which we’ll briefly cover below.
| Case | Summary |
| Similar photos | iOS has its own algorithm for detecting and flagging duplicate photos. However, it’s incapable of identifying “similar” photos, which are identical images with minute differences. See Option B in the iPhone section below. |
| Metadata difference | Let’s say you have two existing copies of the same photos saved on iCloud and on your iPhone (locally). If there’s a difference in their metadata, there’s a chance that they won’t get flagged during synchronization. See Option B in the iPhone section below. |
| Edited photos | Slight edits on a photo, even those considered “non-destructive” (edits that don’t overwrite the original data), will prevent both iOS and iCloud from flagging these images as duplicates. This can also be resolved by a third-party app (or manual deletion). See Option B in the iPhone section below. |
| Sync errors | When you first use iCloud sync, it goes through an initial mass comparison phase that should sniff out any duplicates. However, if your network becomes intermittent during this stage, it may lead to inconsistent identification. Try enabling iCloud sync again when you have a more stable connection. |
| Mixed sync methods | If you use another method to upload or sync photos (e.g., third-party apps) that have already been saved in the Photos app or iCloud, they might bypass the identification phase altogether. Only use one backup method if possible. |
How to Remove Duplicate Photos in iCloud
Fortunately, iCloud makes it easy to find and delete all the duplicate photos it identifies. On any device with iCloud Photos enabled, you’ll find all iCloud duplicates in the Duplicates album. iCloud Photos is available for iPhone, Mac, and Windows PC—so we included guides for all devices and gave them each their own sections below.
You can also access iCloud via a browser, but iCloud web is not capable of detecting existing duplicates. It can only prevent you from intentionally uploading duplicate photos.
iPhone
Unlike the Mac and Windows PC guides, you have more than one option for deleting duplicates on your iPhone. In fact, Option B allows you to delete both duplicate and similar photos–so we recommend trying both options to make sure you get rid of all library clutter.
Option A: Utilize the Native Photos App
On an iPhone, the Duplicates album can be found inside the Photos app itself in the Utilities section under your photo library. In the Duplicates album, you can Merge duplicate photos, which automatically selects the best copy among a set and deletes the rest. If your photos contain metadata, iOS will merge them as well for you.
You can also delete duplicates on your iPhone one by one manually from within the album, in case you still want multiple copies.
How to delete duplicate photos in the cloud using your iPhone:
Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID.
Step 2. Tap iCloud.
Step 3. Under APPS USING ICLOUD, tap Photos.
Step 4. Ensure that Sync this iPhone is enabled. If you disable it, you’ll delete the photos from your iPhone but not from iCloud.
Step 5. Close the Settings app and open the Photos app. Tap Albums at the bottom of the screen and scroll down to UTILITIES. Tap Duplicates.
Step 6. Tap Merge by the cluster of duplicates you want to clear. This will ensure that your iPhone stores only the best copy and deletes everything else.
Step 7. Tap Merge Items to confirm the action.
Option B: Use Third-Party iPhone Cleaner Apps
Third-party cleaner apps are iPhone applications from the App Store that were designed specifically to help you clean up your photo library. Since the Photos app was not specifically designed for cleanup, third-party apps usually have extremely useful features that the native app lacks. For example, they might use a different algorithm
For this demo, we’ll be using an app called Clever Cleaner: AI Cleanup App. It’s completely free with no ads and limitations, so all users can follow along with this guide. Most importantly, Clever Cleaner is capable of identifying both duplicate and similar photos–so not only can it find duplicate photos that iOS missed due to technical issues, but it can also find identical pictures that the Photos app was not designed to flag in the first place.
Aside from duplicate and similar photos, Clever Cleaner can also help you manage your screenshots, Live Photos, and “Heavies” (large media files), so you might end up reclaiming a lot of space after using it!
Step 1. Download Clever Cleaner: AI Cleanup App from the official App Store. Then, open Clever Cleaner and give it access to your photo library.
Step 2. Tap Similars in the menu at the bottom. At this point, you can tap Smart Cleanup to let the app automatically purge all duplicate and similar photos for you. You can also review duplicate sets manually–tap a set to open a new menu.
Step 3. Clever Cleaner will already choose the best copy for you by default and select the rest automatically (you can also select them manually). To delete the selected photos, tap Move to Trash. Finally, tap Empty Trash to purge all deleted duplicates permanently.
If you want to review deleted duplicates before erasing them permanently, tap the dialogue popup itself without touching the Empty Trash popup. This will open the Trash menu, where you can review all the media you deleted from within the app and decide to restore them or purge them from your device.
Mac
Similar to the iPhone, the Photos app on your Mac also has a Duplicates album that compiles duplicate photos for you. Here, you can easily merge or delete duplicates.
However, iCloud Photos must also be enabled on your Mac beforehand so that any changes made on your Mac’s Photos app are mirrored to the cloud. We’ll show you the entire process in the guide below.
To remove duplicate photos in iCloud on your Mac:
Step 1. Open the Settings app on your Mac
Step 2. Click on your Apple ID in the left sidebar and click iCloud in the main window.
Step 3. In the Apps Using iCloud section, click Photos.
Step 4. Toggle ON the Sync this Mac setting and tap Done.
Step 5. Open the Photos app on your Mac (Finder > Applications).
Step 6. On the left sidebar under Photos, click Duplicates. For each cluster of duplicates you want to clean up, click Merge Items.
Step 7. Click Merge Items/Merge Exact Copies again in the dialogue box that appears to confirm the action.
Windows
Thanks to iCloud for Windows, you can also erase duplicate photos from the cloud using a PC. However, it lacks the Duplicates album that Apple devices have – you’ll have to go through your iCloud library manually.
To delete duplicate photos on iCloud from PC:
Step 1. Download iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store. Then, launch it and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
Step 2. When the iCloud settings appears, make sure the box beside Photos is marked and click the Options button beside it.
Step 3. Ensure that the box beside iCloud Photos is marked. Then, click Done.
Step 4. Click Apply to start the syncing process (it won’t be greyed out during the initial setup).
Step 5. Once iCloud and Microsoft Photos are synced, open Microsoft Photos and click iCloud in the left sidebar. Locate your duplicates and click on the boxes in the top-right corner of their thumbnails to select them. Then, click the Trash icon.
Step 6. Review your photo library for duplicates. Hit CTRL + click to select multiple photos. Then, right-click on the photos > Delete.
Never Drown in Duplicates Again!
We understand it gets difficult to manage duplicate photos, especially if you’ve accumulated a massive library of images. That’s why we wrote a guide on how to organize thousands of photos on your iPhone without duplicates. We’ll show you how to get rid of clutter, tag your photos, manage your albums, and even back up your data with iCloud while avoiding creating or saving duplicates by accident.
FAQ
- Delete duplicate photos manually from iCloud
- Delete duplicate photos via the Duplicates album on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
- Delete duplicate photos using duplicate cleaner apps
