Google Photos is one of the best services for uploading photos to the cloud and it’s an easy way to sync multiple devices. However, your storage can quickly fill up with identical photos. Therefore, in this article, we will analyze why the system duplicates images, and how you can delete duplicate images from Google Photos.
The fastest way to clean up your Google Drive is with software that can automatically scan similar photos. While the built-in “duplicate detection” system helps you to avoid direct copying during an upload, a duplicate image finder is the best way to detect any edited files.
Below, check out all the details about image duplication, and ways you can delete duplicate photos.
Why does Google Photos duplicate images?
The biggest cause of duplicate photos is that the user loaded them twice. This is usually because you didn’t realize the image was already loaded. You can also accidentally create copies when editing a photo. Even, depending on the changes, the new file can be almost identical to the original.
It is clear that the bugs and glitches can also create duplicate photos in your Google Drive. Sometimes when you add a new device to your Google Photos or turn on the “backup and sync” feature, it uploads a file that is already in the cloud because the two images have different metadata.
How to delete duplicate images in Google Photos?
Finding duplicate images on Google Photos is not uncommon, especially if you store a lot of images. However, most people don’t want a duplicate photo of every event taking up their limited cloud storage.
Fortunately, there are three different ways to check for duplicate images. The first one is a tool native to the system. The second is about third-party apps; and in the third option, you delete the images manually.
Below, see more details about each one:
1. Use identical image detection with Google Photos
Google tries to avoid this nuisance, through a Native identical image detection feature. It will check the content as well as the metadata of any image you upload to the cloud and check that you haven’t already uploaded it.
The tool is very easy to use as it automatically activates and deletes duplicate images. However, it does have limitations on what will be deleted, and there are some steps you need to take to improve the feature’s effectiveness.
- Always use Google Photos and not Google Drive: duplicate detection cannot be compared between different apps in Google Workspace, and Google Photos can detect identical images with different names;
- Confirm that duplicate detection is working on your device: Try loading an image that you already have saved. The system should display the pop-up “loaded item” in the bottom right corner, but Google Drive won’t add it to your folder or album. If it appears, you will need to speak to Google customer support as it is not possible to activate the duplicate image removal tool manually.
2. Use third-party apps to remove duplicate images in Google Photos
If you found Google’s detection to be rather mediocre, don’t worry. This is said because there are free third-party solutions that help you remove duplicate photos from your cloud storage.
Among the applications and programs available on the internet, it is possible to mention: “Duplicate File Finder, Cleaner for Drive” or “Duplicate Photo Cleaner”. After downloading one of these programs, it is necessary to grant permission to access your photos. Once this is done, the program should display a list of identical images it finds. You can then delete any duplicate photos you find.
3. Remove duplicate images manually
If you are still not satisfied with the software made available by third parties, then the best option is to delete the double images manually. However, remember: the process can be very time consuming.
In that case, go through all your photos and look for the duplicate images. Since Google sorts images by date, double photos are usually next to each other.
Once you find a double photo, tap on the image to see it in more detail, then tap on the bin. Finally, the image must remain in your trash folder for 60 days. After that period, the system deletes it, and you have no way of recovering it.
How to avoid duplicate images from Google Photos?
The best way to do this is to keep all your photos under a single Google account. You should also make sure to remove the original file if you have edited it.
Create regular copies while editing it’s a great way to avoid a mistake that could destroy your image. However, it will also quickly fill up your storage.
Another option is disable features like “backup and sync”. Instead, manually upload photos to your Google account. This will allow you to control images moved from your hard drive to your cloud storage.
