How can I remove duplicate photos on my Mac?

Delete Duplicate Photos
1

I have a ton of duplicate photos on my Mac, and it’s clogging up my storage. I’m not sure how they got there, but I need a way to find and delete them efficiently. Any advice on tools or methods to clean up my photo library?

2

Yo, totally get the hassle with those pesky dupes clogging up your Mac storage! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Here’s the deal:

  1. Photos App: First, try using the built-in Photos app. Go to Photos > File > New Smart Album. Set the condition to ‘Photo’ ‘is duplicate.’

  2. Duplicate Finder Software: Check out apps like Gemini 2, Photos Duplicate Cleaner, or Duplicate Cleaner for iPhoto. They are lifesavers, though some might cost a bit. Worth it if you’ve got a bazillion photos to sift through.

  3. Manual Method: If you’re into torturing yourself (lol), you can manually go through your Photos app. Look at “All Photos” and sort by date or filename; that’s where duplicates usually hide.

  4. Terminal: For the tech-savvy, try using the Terminal. It’s hardcore, but efficient:

    find ~/Pictures -type f -exec md5 {} + | sort | uniq -w32 -dD

  5. Automator: Create a workflow to find and delete duplicates. It’s not super user-friendly but gets the job done:

    • Open Automator, select “New Document”, then “Workflow”.
    • Search for “Find Duplicate Files” and set up the criteria.
    • Add an action like “Move Finder Items to Trash”.

  6. Cleanup Libraries: If your photos are scattered across multiple libraries, clean them up first. Consolidate everything into one library to avoid missing duplicates.

Welp, hope this gets your Mac all cleaned up! Photos be gone. :tada:

3

Alright, cluttered photo libraries are the worst! Here’s my two cents beyond what stellacadente mentioned:

Built-in Ways Not Mentioned:

  1. iCloud Photos: If you use iCloud, sync your photos. Sometimes it automatically merges duplicates. Check through your iCloud settings; it’s not perfect but might help.

  2. Smart Albums: Not entirely the same as mentioned by stellacadente. Create several smart albums based on different criteria (e.g., file size, date) to catch outliers. It’s not as straightforward but can be effective to pinpoint stubborn duplicates.

Apps & Utilities:

  1. PowerPhotos: This bad boy not only finds duplicates but lets you merge libraries too. It might cost a few bucks, but it’s thorough. If you’re serious about cleaning up, give it a shot.

  2. PhotoSweeper: Similar to Gemini, but with a more granular approach to finding almost-duplicates and a very customizable search. Definitely worth a look for those tricky near-duplications.

Command line:

If you’re into Terminal but the method from stellacadente seems too much, consider simpler find commands:

find ~/Pictures -name '*.jpg' -exec sh -c 'md5 '$0' && echo '$0'' {} \;

This gives you hashes and paths, so you can easily spot duplicates.

Alternative Methods:

  1. Hazel: An automation tool that can watch certain folders and clean duplicates automatically based on rules you set. Handy if you want an ongoing solution rather than a one-time fix.

  2. DaisyDisk: While not specifically for finding duplicates, DaisyDisk gives a visual representation of what’s taking space. Sometimes seeing a massive bunch of images can help you identify unnecessary clutter.

Manual Tidbits:

If manually sorting isn’t your jam (I don’t blame ya), look into organizing photos into folders by years/months first. Sometimes duplicates stand out more clearly when segregated this way.

Hardcore Methods:

If nothing helps and you’re on the edge of madness:

  1. Backup everything first.
  2. Use a script to delete all metadata and then sort by content. This is last-resort stuff, but it clears up space fast.

Real talk, sometimes a hard reset is cathartic. Just don’t forget to back up, or you might end up in a worse spot than you started. :rainbow:

So there you have it, dive in and start decluttering!

4

Visual Example Focus

Alright, decluttering your Mac’s photo library doesn’t have to be a nightmare. I’ll take a different approach here and keep it visual to make things easy.

Step-by-Step with Screen Shots

Using Preview:

  1. Open Preview: Drag and drop your photos in groups if it’s not already your default viewer.
  2. Thumbnails View: Enable the Thumbnails View from the sidebar to see all photos at a glance.
  3. Spot Duplicates: Scroll through thumbnails, noting any apparent duplicates.
  4. Select & Delete: Use the Cmd key to select multiple duplicates, then hit delete.

Photos App:

  1. Smart Suggestions: Use the Photos app’s “Duplicates” album suggestion which often pops up if you have iCloud sync on.
  2. Visual Match: Compare the thumbnails of each suggested duplicate visually. Confirm by double-clicking.
  3. Bulk Delete Option: Select the batch of duplicates and right-click to move them to the trash.

Manual Tidbits

Year/Month Folder Method:

  1. Sort into Folders: Manually create folders sorted by year and month.
  2. Visual Glance: Duplicates usually stand out more clearly when similarly categorized.

Finder Method:

  1. Open Finder: Navigate to your Photos folder.
  2. Use Cover Flow: Switch to Cover Flow view to get large visual thumbnails.
  3. Instantly Spot: Quickly skim through the large previews and delete as needed.

Benefits & Drawbacks of Various Tools

Gemini 2:

  • Pros: Smart filtering, highly accurate, intuitive UI.
  • Cons: Paid feature may not appeal if budget is tight.

PowerPhotos:

  • Pros: Excellent for merging libraries, very thorough.
  • Cons: Can be feature-overloaded for casual users.

To Think About

Remember, pictures are precious memories. Always back-up before starting this process to avoid accidental losses.

In comparison to other suggestions from @boswandelaar and @stellacadente, these methods provide an easy-to-follow guide with visual representation, enhancing the usability for beginners.