How to Find and Remove Duplicate Photos
When dozens of guests upload from their phones, the same moment tends to arrive more than once: two guests share the same photo, someone uploads a shot again after receiving it on WhatsApp, or a guest sends five burst shots of the cake cutting. The duplicate finder spots these for you, suggests which copy to keep, and lets you delete the rest in one go.
The duplicate finder is free on every plan. It is available to the event organizer and to event moderators.
Step 1: Open the Duplicate Finder
- Go to Photos in the sidebar and click Album to open your event album
- Click Find duplicates at the top of the page
A window opens and starts comparing the photos in your album. Photos that guests uploaded recently, or that were uploaded before the duplicate finder existed, are analyzed the first time you open it: you will see Comparing photos… X of Y analyzed while that happens, and the results fill in automatically. For a large album this can take a minute or two, and you can keep reviewing the groups that are already shown.
Step 2: Choose What to Look For
At the top of the window, pick one of two modes:
- Similar shots (default) — copies of the same photo plus burst shots and near-identical takes of the same moment, such as five photos of the same pose taken seconds apart
- Exact copies — only copies of the same photo: re-saved, resized, sent through WhatsApp or uploaded twice
The photos are shown in groups, in the order they were taken. Each group is labeled Exact copies or Similar shots, so you can tell at a glance which ones are safe to clean up and which ones need a closer look.
Step 3: Review Each Group
In every group, one photo carries a Best badge: that is the copy we suggest keeping. The suggestion favors the copy with the largest original file (a photo re-shared through WhatsApp is much smaller than the phone original), then the sharpest shot, then the one uploaded in Full HD.
- In Exact copies groups, every photo except the suggested one is already marked for deletion
- In Similar shots groups, nothing is marked until you decide, since choosing between burst shots is a matter of taste
Click a photo to mark it for deletion, or click it again to keep it. Each photo also shows who uploaded it and the size of its original file, and the arrow icon in its corner opens a larger view in a new tab so you can compare details.
Two shortcuts sit on every group:
- Keep best only — marks every photo in the group except the suggested one
- Keep all — keeps every photo and hides the group, for photos that only look alike
If your album has many groups, click Show more groups at the bottom of the list.
Step 4: Delete the Copies You Don't Need
- Check the counter at the bottom of the window, for example 3 photos selected
- Click Delete 3 photos (the button shows how many photos are marked)
- Confirm in the dialog that opens
If you marked every photo of a group, the confirmation warns you that no copy of that photo will be left, so you can't lose a moment by accident. Deleted photos disappear from the gallery for you and your guests and cannot be recovered.
When you close the window, your album refreshes without the deleted photos.
Find Duplicates With Your AI Assistant
If you connected an AI assistant like Claude or ChatGPT to your account, you can also ask it to find duplicate photos. It lists the groups and the copy it suggests keeping, and only deletes a photo after you confirm it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the duplicate finder cost anything? A: No. It is included on every plan.
Q: Are videos and photos waiting for approval included? A: No. The duplicate finder compares the approved photos in your album. Videos, voice messages and photos still waiting in the Photos to Review tab are not included. See how to approve or reject photos.
Q: Will it delete anything on its own? A: Never. It only suggests which copies to remove. Nothing is deleted until you click the delete button and confirm.
Q: Two different photos were grouped together. What should I do? A: Click Keep all on that group. It keeps every photo and hides the group from the list.
Q: Why wasn't an edited or cropped version grouped with the original? A: The duplicate finder recognizes copies, resized and recompressed versions, and burst shots. Heavily cropped photos, photos with strong filters, or the same moment captured from two different phones look different enough that they are not grouped.
Q: Can I delete several photos at once without the duplicate finder? A: Yes. Use selection mode in the album to approve, move, download or delete many photos together. See how to batch-manage and reorder photos.
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