How to Find and Delete Similar Photos on iPhone & iPad

Clear similar photos and burst shots your iPhone keeps after the same moment, and free up storage the Duplicates album cannot reach.

Free up 1GB to 15GB of storage by clearing similar photos and burst shots that pile up around the same moment.

Why This Matters

Most wasted photo storage is not exact duplicates. It is similar photos:

• Burst shots, where one tap captures ten or more frames
• Three or four tries at the same group photo
• Small changes in angle, zoom, or lighting of the same scene
• Retakes of a document, receipt, or whiteboard

These are not exact copies, so the built-in Duplicates album ignores them. They can be the single largest source of hidden clutter in a large library.

How Similar Photos Differ from Duplicates

• Duplicates are the same or near identical. The Photos app can find these in its Duplicates album. See Delete Duplicate Photos.
• Similar photos are different shots of one moment. No built-in album groups these, so you clear them by hand or with a dedicated cleaner.

Method 1: Review and Delete by Hand

1. Open the Photos App

Tap Photos, then the Library tab. Use Days or All Photos view to see sets together.

2. Thin Out Each Set

When you see several shots of one moment, tap Select, keep the best, and select the rest.

3. Delete the Extras

Tap the trash icon to remove the selected photos.

✅ Done! The extra shots move to Recently Deleted.

Method 2: Clear Bursts

Bursts are stored as one stack, but every frame still uses space.

1. Open a Burst

In Photos, bursts show a stacked icon and the label Burst.

2. Select the Keepers

Tap Select at the bottom, then mark the frames you want.

3. Keep Only Favorites

Tap Done and choose Keep Only Favorites. The frames you did not pick move to Recently Deleted.

Method 3: Group and Clear Similar Photos Automatically

Reviewing a large library by hand takes a long time, and it is easy to miss sets. Dedupify scans your library, groups visually similar photos and bursts together, highlights the best shot in each group, and lets you clear the rest with a swipe. It handles the similar photos the Duplicates album leaves behind.

This is the fastest option when you have thousands of photos and years of burst shots.

Reclaim the Space

Deleted photos sit in Recently Deleted for 30 days and still use storage. To free the space now, open Albums → Recently Deleted, tap Select, then Delete All.

How Much Space Will I Save?

Savings depend on how often you shoot bursts and retakes:

• Light shooters: 1GB to 3GB
• Regular users: 3GB to 8GB
• Heavy or burst heavy libraries: 8GB to 15GB or more

To check your photo storage: Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Photos.

Important Notes

⚠️ Keep one of each moment. Review a set before you delete so you do not lose the only good shot.

💡 Tip: Clear exact copies first with the Delete Duplicate Photos guide, then clear the similar shots that remain.

Works on iPhone and iPad

This guide works on both iPhone and iPad from iOS 13. The steps use the standard Photos app.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a similar photo?

Different shots of the same moment, such as burst frames, retakes, or small changes in angle or lighting. They are not exact copies, so the built-in Duplicates album does not catch them.

Does the iPhone Duplicates album find similar photos?

No. It finds only exact or near exact copies. Similar shots of the same scene are left in your library.

How do I pick the best photo from a burst?

Open the burst, tap Select, mark the frames you want to keep, then choose Keep Only Favorites. The rest move to Recently Deleted.

Will I lose photos if I delete similar ones?

Only the ones you choose. Keep at least one shot of each moment. Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days before they are removed.

What is the fastest way to clear similar photos on a large library?

A dedicated cleaner groups similar photos for you and lets you keep the best and delete the rest in a few taps, which is much faster than manual review.

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