How to find and delete similar photos on iPhone

These steps describe iOS 27. Check the selected photos before you confirm any change.

How do you find similar photos on an iPhone?

Start by deciding what you want to keep. Two copies of one image are different from two photos of the same moment. In a series of portraits, a small change in expression can be the reason to keep a particular photo. A landscape can have the best colours in one frame and the sharpest detail in another. Do not treat every related photo as unwanted.

Work through one event or one group at a time. Open the pictures at a useful size, check the subject, and keep the version you would want to print or share. If you need several views of an event, keep them. The goal is a useful library, rather than the smallest possible library.

Can the built-in Photos app merge duplicates?

Before removing anything, save a separate copy of photos you need. With iCloud Photos, deletions also reach your other devices using the same Apple Account. An image stored in iCloud is part of the synced library, not a separate copy protected from deletion.

1. Open Photos and select Collections.
2. Find Utilities and open Duplicates.
3. Review a pair or group, then choose Merge.
4. Confirm the displayed number of items.

Photos retains one item with the highest image quality and relevant data. The other copies enter Recently Deleted. Automatic detection takes time; an absent Duplicates collection does not prove that every picture is unique. See Apple’s duplicate and deletion instructions.

Use this built-in option before reviewing the remaining similar shots. You do not need an additional app to merge groups that Photos already identifies. After merging those groups, review the remaining repeated shots and decide which photos you want to keep.

Can you recover a photo after deleting it?

Photos normally retains removed items in Recently Deleted for 30 days. To recover an item in iOS 27, open Photos, Collections, Utilities, then Recently Deleted. Choose View Album and authenticate if asked. Select the photo, open More, choose Recover, and confirm. The Apple deletion guide also explains shared-library limits.

Do not empty Recently Deleted as a routine part of reviewing similar pictures. Permanent deletion removes the recovery option. Keep the recovery period when you are unsure about a selection. If you need space urgently, review the storage guide below before deciding whether to remove those items permanently.

Can you save space without deleting the originals?

If you want to retain the whole collection, consider iCloud Photos and optimized storage. In Settings, open your name, iCloud, then Photos. Enable Sync this iPhone. Open iPhone Storage and check that Optimize iPhone Storage is enabled. Read Apple’s storage instructions before changing the settings.

This stores full-resolution originals in iCloud and smaller local copies when needed. You need sufficient iCloud space. Optimization changes where originals are stored; it does not decide which photos you want. Downloading an original can require an internet connection, so consider how you use photos when travelling or offline.

Where does Alike help with similar photos?

Alike helps you review near-duplicates that remain outside the groups you merged in Photos. It compares photos close in time and place using Apple Vision on your iPhone. It suggests a Best Shot from sharpness, exposure, faces and noise. This gives each group a starting selection, while you keep the final decision.

Open a group and check the suggested photo first. Look at faces and details that matter to you. Choose another photo if it better represents the moment. Alike learns from your choices on the device, and you can reset that learning in Settings. Review the removal selection before confirming it; iOS also requests confirmation. Removed photos enter Recently Deleted.

Alike has no account, ads or analytics. Free use includes 3 scans each month and cleanup one photo at a time. Alike Pro offers unlimited scans and batch cleanup through monthly or yearly subscriptions. Eligible new subscribers receive a 7-day trial on the yearly plan. The App Store displays your local price.

Download Alike on the App Store

What should you read next?

Read how to free up photo storage if space is your main concern. Use the comparison checklist to review Alike’s privacy, deletion and subscription choices.