I noticed my iPhone photo library is filled with duplicate pictures, and it’s taking up so much storage space. Is there an easy way to identify and delete these duplicates without accidentally removing anything important?
Erase Duplicate Photos from Your iPhone—The Free Way! 
Let’s face it, our phones are stuffed with countless pictures. Some of them are great memories, sure, but others? Nearly identical shots or straight-up duplicates. Got thousands of those eating up your precious storage? If your answer’s yes, here’s a solution—and it’s totally free! Forget manually pruning through your gallery. Check this out: the Clever Cleaner app for iPhone is what Redditors are buzzing about. I tried it myself, and the results were magical. Storage freed, clutter gone, and not a single cent spent.
Why Should You Care?
Digital minimalism FTW! Freeing up space on your phone means faster performance, fewer “storage full” messages, and more room for the things that matter. Duplicates hoarded from years of random selfies or burst shots do nothing but hold you back. But don’t worry—you don’t need to be a tech wizard. Here’s the painless, step-by-step way to declutter your photo library in minutes.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone
Here’s Your Toolkit:
First things first, you’ll need the Clever Cleaner app, an AI-powered godsend. This app automates the exhausting work of finding similar or duplicate photos, making your life ridiculously easy.
Steps to Achieve Photo Perfection
1. Install the App
Visit Clever Cleaner App on the App Store and hit download. Boom, you’re halfway there already.
2. Allow Access to Your Photos
Don’t freak out. For the app to work its magic, you’ll need to grant full access to your photo library. I did it, and trust me, the process was quick, and my privacy stayed intact.
3. Let the AI Do Its Thing
Patience is key here—it usually takes 2–6 minutes to scan your entire collection. The time depends on the size of your photo library. Grab some coffee while the app does the heavy lifting.
4. Review and Edit Results
Once completed, the app will group similar photos and show you its recommendations on which ones to keep. The AI automatically selects the highest-quality photo from each group, and you can double-check everything before deleting.
5. Tap “Smart Cleanup”
Hit the cleanup button, then head over to your Photos app to empty your trash folder. That’s all there is to it!
Mission Accomplished: Instant Space Boost
On my first try, this sucker freed up a whopping 11GB of junk photos. Can you imagine? That’s like deleting nearly 3,000 photos in one go. Honestly, it feels like Marie Kondo came and sparked joy in my iPhone. Goodbye cluttered gallery and hello clean slate! 
Additional Resources to Explore 
Want to dive deeper or explore other apps? I’ve got you covered with these helpful links:
- 4 Methods on MacGasm: How to Delete Duplicate Photos
- Reddit’s Guide for Removing Duplicate iPhone Photos
- Apple Discussions on Managing Similar Photos
- Clever Cleaner App’s Initial Reddit Launch Post
- More Duplicates Deletion Hacks from InsanelyMac
- YouTube Video on Removing Duplicate Photos: Simple Tutorial
- Full Storage Fixes Without Extra Money (Reddit Guide)
From organizing your digital memories to freeing up storage without spending a dime, the Clever Cleaner app is a seriously solid choice. Go give it a try—you’ll thank yourself later. 
2 Likes
Manually hunting for duplicate photos is like trying to find matching socks in a tornado—it’s exhausting and never-ending. While the Clever Cleaner app that @mikeappsreviewer mentioned sounds like a solid option, I’m gonna throw a slightly old-school approach in the mix for those who might not wanna mess with apps or granting photo access.
Use the iPhone’s Built-In Features:
If you’re on iOS 16 or newer, the Photos app actually has a “Duplicates” feature already built in. Apple, being sneaky, slid this into the library under “Albums > Utilities.” It automatically groups duplicate photos and lets you merge them. No need to download anything. BUT—and it’s a big one—it’s not perfect. It doesn’t always catch similar shots, and for massive libraries, it might take forever to process.
Pro-tip: Before you start deleting, back up everything! Seriously, you do not want to be the person crying over accidentally nuking your perfect sunset pic from 2017.
The Case for Apps:
Now, apps like Clever Cleaner can really speed up the process if the “Duplicates” tool feels too basic. Why? AI’s smarter at grouping similar photos (like burst shots) and picking the sharpest ones. But here’s my devil’s advocate moment—it might flag photos you thought were totally unique. SO, if you go the app route, triple-check its recommendations. AI isn’t foolproof, people!
Old-Fashioned Method #1:
Don’t laugh… You can try Airdropping your entire photo library to a Mac or iPad, use Gemini Photos (another solid app), and THEN delete duplicates. Overkill? Maybe. Effective? Yeah, sort of.
Old-Fashioned Method #2 (Extreme):
Upload EVERYTHING to Google Photos. Their automatic image-spacing AI is scarily accurate in spotting duplicates. Plus, you could just save space by offloading files there altogether.
So, if you love your sanity, Clever Cleaner seems like a no-brainer. But hey, I’m just saying, don’t ignore your built-in tools or free backup solutions like Google or iCloud before you go app-crazy. Choose what fits your vibe.
Here’s a thought: maybe consider decluttering the old-fashioned way if apps like Clever Cleaner or built-in tools from iPhone aren’t quite your speed. I mean, isn’t there a kind of nostalgia in painstakingly scrolling through years of blurry sunsets, duplicate brunch photos, and accidental pocket pics? That’s sarcasm, btw. Ain’t nobody got time for that with thousands of pics clogging up storage.
Now, while @mikeappsreviewer went hard on Clever Cleaner (which, yeah, is a solid app—I’ve used it and was low-key impressed by how it grouped photos for easy deletion), I think @sterrenkijker nailed a key point: backing up your library. iCloud or external storage first, people! You will delete something you love if you rush through.
For those worried about granting access to third-party apps (understandable!), you could skip apps entirely and just focus on iPhone’s built-in Duplicates folder under Utilities (for iOS 16+ users). It’s super straightforward, but, let me be real—it’s not gonna catch every “almost duplicate” photo. Like, all those burst selfies from a girls’ night? Still your problem.
Alternatively, if you’re like me and love Excel-style efficiency (don’t @ me), transfer everything to your PC or Mac. Use tools like Gemini or even Google Photos to sort out duplicates, then sync the cleaned-up library back to your phone.
So yeah, Clever Cleaner is worth the hype, but you’ve got options depending on how much effort you’re willing to invest. Just…remember to double-check deletes, or you’ll be texting your friends like, ‘Hey, remember that one photo we took? Can you send it back?’ Awkward.
Why not use different approaches depending on your vibe—or let’s call it effort level? First, two truths: the built-in Duplicates folder on iOS (16 and up) is great but a bit basic—it’ll mostly catch identical files, not near-duplicates, so expect to still do some manual weeding. If you want the least hassle, the Clever Cleaner app is a top pick for AI-assisted deletion. I’ve tried it, and while it’s highly efficient (grouping photos by quality, similarity), it does require granting access to your photo library, which might not vibe with privacy-conscious folks.
Pros of Clever Cleaner:
- Quick scanning (a few minutes for huge libraries).
- AI actually helps—not just a random filter tool.
- Free, so you’re saving $$ compared to subscription apps like Gemini Photos.
Cons:
- Privacy concerns for some (though they seem transparent about it).
- Might delete a keeper if you don’t double-check the AI’s picks!
If apps aren’t your jam, @sterrenkijker made a solid point—backing up everything first to iCloud or even an external drive saves you the please-send-me-that-photo texts later. Also, exporting to a computer can streamline things. Tools like Gemini on Mac or Google Photos can do the sorting for you a little more comprehensively, especially for duplicates hiding in burst mode.
Big takeaway? Choose between hands-on via iOS tools, app-reliant with Clever Cleaner’s AI, or external prep (offloading photos to Mac/PC). Each has trade-offs: time, effort, or privacy. You pick your poison.