Need help removing duplicate photos in Google Photos?

Delete Duplicate Photos
1

I’m facing an issue where I have a bunch of duplicate photos in my Google Photos account. It’s cluttering my library and making it difficult to organize. Could someone guide me on how to efficiently remove these duplicates? Would really appreciate any steps or tools that can help with this!

2

Man, dealing with duplicate photos in Google Photos can be such a pain, right? Here’s what worked for me:

  1. Manual Check: First off, use the search bar and type in terms like ‘duplicated’, ‘copy’, or ‘backup’. This helps narrow down some obvious duplicates.

  2. Use a Third-party App: If you have a LOT of duplicates, consider using a tool like Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro or Remo Duplicate Photos Remover. These apps can scan your Google Photos library and help you delete duplicates.

  3. Built-in Features? Not Really: Google Photos doesn’t have a built-in deduplication tool, so third-party apps or manual checking are your main options.

  4. Consistency Moving Forward: Going forward, make sure when you upload photos, especially from multiple devices, you do it in an organized way. Try not to upload the same photos more than once.

It can be tedious, but if you tackle it bit by bit, you’ll get that library cleaned up! Hang in there.

3

I’ve been there too, and honestly, it’s such a headache! But here’s another approach you could try, beyond what @chasseurdetoiles suggested:

Web-Based Clean-Up:

Google Drive Method:

  1. Google Drive Sync: If your Google Photos are synced with Google Drive, you might find the duplicates easier to spot and move around directly through Drive. Navigate to your Google Drive, head to the ‘Google Photos’ section, and start filtering them there.
  2. Grid View: Switch to grid view to see thumbnails more clearly. It helps visually identify duplicates more quickly.

Shared Albums Trick:

  1. Shared Album Creation: Create a new shared album and start adding photos. As you add duplicates, avoid adding if a photo is already included. Once done, you can move the photos from this shared album back to your main library.

Automation Approach:

IFTTT:

  1. IFTTT Recipes: Set up some IFTTT (If This Then That) recipes to detect and manage duplicates. While not perfect, it can help automate part of the process.
  2. Periodic Syncs: Regularly set syncs or clean-ups to keep on top of duplicate creation.

Manual Methods:

Date Sorting:

  1. Sort by Date: Sorting photos by date can often clump duplicates together, making it easier to find and delete them.

Systematic Weekly Clean-Up:

  1. Weekly Cleanup: Dedicate a small amount of time each week to handle duplicates, rather than doing it all at once.

Future-Proofing:

Unique Uploads:

  1. Beware of Device Sync: If multiple devices are syncing, ensure that only one device uploads the photo to Google Photos to prevent duplicates.

Metadata Check:

  1. Check Metadata: Manually checking photo metadata through details or info (right-click and selecting ‘info’) can sometimes help catch duplicates that are slightly edited but essentially the same.

BTW, I found some duplicates were caused by multiple backups and sync issues. You might wanna look at your devices and backup settings to prevent future duplications from occurring.

Hope these ideas help!