RoomForGemsMost of us have the same photo saved twice. A picture someone sent you in a message. A screenshot you took two times. An import from an old phone that brought copies along. These copies quietly take up space. The good news is that both iPhone and Android have free tools that find many of them for you. Start there. You may not need anything else.
Before you start
Two small things will save you worry.
First, deleting is not instant. On iPhone, deleted photos go to Recently Deleted for about 30 days. On Android, they go to Trash (Google Photos, Files by Google) or Trash/Bin (Samsung Gallery), for about 30 days in most gallery apps (some differ). On iPhone, if iCloud Photos is on, deleting also deletes from iCloud and your other devices. So if you remove the wrong one, you can get it back.
Second, that also means your storage won't go up straight away. The space comes back when the 30 days pass, or when you empty that folder yourself.
iPhone: use the Duplicates album
Since iOS 16, the Photos app looks for duplicates by itself. It puts them in a list called Duplicates, under Utilities.
Where you find it depends on your version of iOS:
- iOS 16 and 17: Photos › Albums › scroll down to Utilities › Duplicates.
- iOS 18: Photos › scroll down the main screen to Utilities › Duplicates.
- Newer versions (iOS 26 and later): Photos › Collections › Utilities › Duplicates.
Then:
- Look at each set. The copies sit side by side.
- Tap Merge on a set.
- Tap Merge [number] Items to confirm.
What merging keeps
Apple says merging "combines the highest quality version and all of the relevant data across the duplicates, and keeps that one in your library." The other copies move to Recently Deleted.
In practice, "relevant data" means things like captions, keywords and favourites (not verified). Apple doesn't list them on its iPhone page. Either way, you end up with one good copy, not a stripped-down one.
If you can't see Duplicates
Don't worry. Apple explains that the album only shows up once your iPhone has finished checking your library and found at least one duplicate. The check runs when your iPhone is locked and plugged in. It can be quick, or it can take a few days if you have a lot of photos.
To see if it is still working, open Photos and scroll to the very bottom of your Library. A status message there means it is still checking. Leave the phone on charge overnight and look again.
What it does and doesn't find
The Duplicates album finds exact copies. It also seems to catch copies that look the same but are saved at a different size or in a different file type (not verified).
It does not group "similar shots" (not verified). Five photos of the grandchildren taken a second apart are not duplicates to your iPhone. Neither is a burst of the same moment. You have to look through those yourself.
Emptying Recently Deleted
When you are happy with the result, you can free the space now rather than waiting 30 days:
Photos › Collections › Utilities › Recently Deleted. Unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID if asked. Tap Select, choose the photos, then tap the More button › Delete. On older layouts, Recently Deleted is under Albums › Utilities instead.
Apple is clear that once you delete from this album, you can't get the photos back. So only do this when you are sure.
Android: it depends on your phone
Android has no single Duplicates album like iPhone. But there are free tools that do the job. Which one you use depends on your phone.
Files by Google (most Android phones)
The free Files by Google app has a duplicate finder. It is already on many phones, including Pixel phones (not verified).
- Open Files by Google.
- Tap Menu › Clean.
- On the Duplicate files card, tap Select files.
- Choose the copies you want to remove. Google marks one copy as Original. Keep that one.
- Tap Move [number] file(s) to Trash, then confirm.
This works on photos and on other files, like downloads and documents.
Samsung Galaxy: My Files
Samsung's own help page gives this path:
My Files › Analyze storage › Duplicate files. Select the copies, then tap Delete.
Samsung gives one clear warning. If you tick every file in a group, the original gets deleted too. So leave one copy in each group unticked. The button may be named slightly differently on your phone (not verified).
Some Samsung phones also have a duplicate option in the Gallery app. Look in the Gallery menu for a clean-out or duplicate option (not verified). The name and place vary between One UI versions. If you use it, check which copy it plans to keep before you confirm.
To empty Samsung's Trash: Gallery › Menu › Trash › More options › Empty. Items in it are set to be deleted after 30 days anyway.
Google Photos: stacks and Free up space
Google Photos does not have a general duplicate finder. It has two related features, and it helps to know what each one does.
Stack similar photos groups near-identical shots together under one "top pick". Turn it on in Google Photos › More › Stack similar photos. It only works for photos that are backed up. Google is clear that stacking "doesn't change your available storage". It tidies the view. It does not delete anything. You can open a stack and delete the ones you don't want yourself.
Free up space removes photos from your phone that are already safely backed up. Tap your profile picture › Free up space on this device › Free up [x] from device. Your photos stay in your Google Photos library online. This doesn't remove duplicates. But it is often the biggest single win for space.
One thing to watch. If you delete a backed-up photo inside Google Photos, it is removed from your library and from every device that backs up to it. Google's help page says deleted items stay in the Trash for 30 days. That applies to backed-up items, and to items not backed up on Android 11 and later.
When the built-in tools aren't enough
For many people, the steps above are plenty. If you are still short on space, it is usually because of photos that are similar rather than identical. Think bursts, screenshots, and ten tries at one group photo. Our guide to iPhone storage being full covers other places to look. If "System Data" is the big one, see what System Data is.
This is where RoomForGems can help. It finds similar shots, not just exact copies, and it tells you why it grouped them. In each group it suggests a best shot. You can change that pick if you prefer another one. Nothing is deleted straight away. Photos go into a review bin first. When you do delete, your phone's own confirmation box appears, so nothing goes without your say.
RoomForGems is free to use for up to 1 GB, then $9.99 once. There is no subscription. It won't make your phone faster. See what it can't clean, how we handle your photos, and how it compares. If you are weighing up other apps, our guide to cleaner apps without subscriptions may help.