Streamline Your iPhone Storage with Duplicate Detection in iOS 16

We’ve all been there: you grab your iPhone to capture a quick moment, but instead, you end up with a gallery full of nearly identical photos. It’s a hassle that can clutter your storage, but with the built-in duplicate detection feature in iOS 16 and later, Apple has made it much easier to keep your photo library organized.

Understanding Duplicate Detection

Introduced in 2022, this feature automatically identifies duplicate photos on your iPhone, using on-device AI to recognize not only exact copies but also images that may differ slightly in resolution or file format. That means you can effectively declutter your iPhone without painstakingly scrolling through your library. The duplicates are all compiled in a specially designated album, making it easy to decide which to keep.

To get the most out of this feature, ensure that your iCloud syncing is enabled. This allows you to efficiently manage your images across all devices, ensuring you’re not just freeing up space on your iPhone but also on your iCloud storage.

Using the Duplicate Detection Feature

Ready to clean up your device? Follow these straightforward steps:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. Tap the Albums tab located at the bottom of the screen.

3. Scroll down to find the Utilities section and tap on Duplicates. Here, you will see all the duplicate photos on your iPhone.

4. If you want to delete them all at once, tap Select in the top right corner.

5. Choose Select All to merge and delete all detected duplicates simultaneously.

6. For individual deletions, simply scroll to find your duplicates, tap Merge for your selected images, and then confirm by tapping Merge [number] Copies. Repeat this step for any additional duplicates you want to clear out.

What’s fantastic is that merging keeps the highest quality version of the photo while moving duplicates to the Recently Deleted album. This way, you can ensure that no precious moments are lost in the process.

In summary, Apple’s duplicate detection feature simplifies photo management on your iPhone, allowing you to reclaim that precious storage space effortlessly. Keep an eye out for future updates as Apple continues to enhance the iOS experience with more user-friendly features.