Merge Duplicate Photos and Videos in iOS 16

Managing storage on your iPhone is easier with iOS 16 thanks to a built-in duplicate detection tool in the Photos app. This article explains how to locate the Duplicates album, review matched media, and merge duplicate photos and videos individually or in bulk to free up device storage while preserving the highest-quality files and metadata.

How Merging Works

When you merge duplicates, iOS combines the highest quality image data, relevant captions, keywords, and metadata across the copies into a single file. The lower-quality duplicates are automatically moved to the Recently Deleted album, where they remain for 30 days before being permanently removed.

How to Merge Individual Duplicates

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone running iOS 16 or later.
2. Tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Scroll down to the Utilities section and tap Duplicates.
4. Browse through the detected duplicate sets.
5. Tap the Merge button next to any set of duplicate photos or videos.
6. Confirm your selection by tapping Merge [Number] Exact Copies (or Merge [Number] Items).

How to Merge All Duplicates at Once

If you have a large library and want to clean it up quickly, you can batch-merge your duplicates:

1. In the Photos app, go to Albums > Duplicates.
2. Tap Select in the top-right corner.
3. Tap Select All in the top-left corner (or tap specific sets to select them manually).
4. Tap Merge at the bottom center of the screen.
5. Confirm by tapping Merge [Number] Duplicates.

What to Do If the Duplicates Album Does Not Appear

If you do not see the Duplicates album under Utilities, your device may still be indexing your library. The detection process runs automatically in the background when your iPhone is locked and connected to power. Depending on the size of your library, it may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for the album to generate. If no duplicates exist in your library, the album will also remain hidden.