How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone Free (2026)

Published on February 5, 2026 • 6 min read

Duplicate photos are silently eating up your iPhone storage. Whether it's from burst photos, screenshots, or downloading the same image multiple times - duplicates can waste 5-20 GB of space. In this guide, we'll show you how to delete duplicate photos on iPhone for free.

Why Do I Have Duplicate Photos?

There are several common reasons for duplicate photos on your iPhone:

• Burst Mode - Taking burst photos creates dozens of similar images
• Screenshots - Multiple screenshots of the same thing
• Saved from Apps - Downloading images from WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.
• iCloud Sync Issues - Syncing problems can create duplicates
• Edited Photos - Editing creates a copy of the original
• HDR Photos - HDR mode saves both normal and HDR versions

Method 1: Use iOS Built-in Duplicates Album (iOS 16+)

If you have iOS 16 or later, Apple provides a built-in way to find duplicates:

1. Open the Photos app
2. Tap Albums at the bottom
3. Scroll down to Utilities
4. Tap Duplicates
5. Review and tap Merge to combine duplicates

Note: This feature only finds exact duplicates and may miss similar photos.

Method 2: Use SwipeCloud (Recommended)

SwipeCloud goes beyond finding exact duplicates. It also identifies:

• Similar photos (not just exact matches)
• Blurry photos
• Photos with bad lighting
• Duplicate videos

Simply open the app, go to the duplicates section, and delete unwanted copies with one tap.

Delete Duplicates the Easy Way

SwipeCloud finds duplicates, similar photos, and blurry shots automatically. Delete them with one tap and free up gigabytes of space.

Method 3: Manually Search for Duplicates

If you prefer to do it manually:

1. Open Photos app
2. Go to Library > All Photos
3. Sort by date and look for consecutive similar photos
4. Select duplicates and tap the trash icon

This method is time-consuming but gives you full control.

Method 4: Review Burst Photos

Burst photos are a major source of duplicates:

1. Open Photos app
2. Go to Albums > Media Types > Bursts
3. Tap a burst photo, then tap Select
4. Keep only the best shot, then tap Done
5. Choose Keep Only 1 Favorite

Method 5: Disable HDR Auto-Save

Stop HDR from creating duplicate photos:

1. Go to Settings > Camera
2. Turn off Keep Normal Photo

Now your iPhone will only save the HDR version.

How Much Space Can You Save?

The amount of space you can recover depends on your photo library:

• Light users (1,000-3,000 photos): 1-3 GB
• Average users (3,000-10,000 photos): 3-10 GB
• Heavy users (10,000+ photos): 10-30 GB

Tips to Prevent Future Duplicates

• Review burst photos immediately after taking them
• Disable "Keep Normal Photo" for HDR
• Be mindful when saving images from social media
• Regularly clean up your photo library (monthly)
• Use SwipeCloud weekly to catch new duplicates

Conclusion

Deleting duplicate photos on iPhone is one of the fastest ways to free up storage. While iOS 16+ has a built-in duplicates feature, apps like SwipeCloud find more duplicates and similar photos, helping you recover even more space.

Ready to delete duplicates? Download SwipeCloud free and clean up your photo library in minutes!