Delete duplicate iCloud photos from a Windows PC or Chromebook

Apple's Duplicates album is part of the Photos app on iPhone and Mac, so a Windows PC or a Chromebook doesn't have it. Apple's help page for the album describes it as a feature of the Photos app on iPhone running iOS 16 or later, and Apple's Mac guide covers it under Utilities in the Photos sidebar. Neither page mentions Windows or icloud.com. You can still clean an iCloud library from a PC, though: icloud.com/photos works in a browser, and deletions there sync to every device that uses iCloud Photos. The catch is that without the album you have to spot the copies yourself, or use a tool that does.

What you can and can't do on Windows

• iCloud for Windows syncs your iCloud Photos to a folder you can open in File Explorer. Apple's help says deleting photos there also removes them from every device where iCloud Photos is on. Deleting there is a real deletion everywhere, not a tidy-up of the PC.
• icloud.com/photos works in a browser. Apple's steps: go to icloud.com/photos, select the photos or videos, then choose Delete. Deleted items move to the Recently Deleted album.
• Recently Deleted keeps them for 30 days. To bring one back, open Recently Deleted in the sidebar, select the item and choose Recover.

Because deleting syncs everywhere, work in the cloud library, not in a downloaded copy.

Free ways to find copies

Borrow an Apple device for ten minutes

If anyone in your household has an iPhone or Mac signed in to your Apple Account, the Duplicates album is free. On an iPhone, open Photos, tap Collections, scroll to Utilities and tap Duplicates. On a Mac, click Duplicates under Utilities in the sidebar. Merge the sets: each merge keeps one copy and the removed ones go to Recently Deleted for 30 days. Apple notes that detection needs the iPhone to be locked and connected to power, and can take up to a few days.

Clean by hand at icloud.com

1. Sign in at icloud.com/photos in Chrome.
2. Open a month where you know you imported twice, such as after a holiday or a phone change.
3. Look for photos with the same time and the same scene, and select the extras.
4. Choose Delete.

It's slow past a few dozen photos, so go slowly.

Fix the cause on Windows

Apple's Windows help is about syncing, not duplicates, but there's one habit worth stopping: if iCloud Photos is downloading your library to the PC and you also copy photos in by hand from a phone, you'll have the same photo twice on the PC. Pick one route.

Doppelgone in Chrome

Doppelgone's Chrome extension works on iCloud Photos at icloud.com on desktop Chrome, which covers Windows, Mac and Chromebooks.

1. Add the extension and open icloud.com/photos.
2. Start a scan. It finds exact copies, lookalikes and burst shots.
3. Review each set. Doppelgone keeps the best shot (eyes open, sharp, well lit) and says why. Tap another photo to keep that one too.
4. Approve the clean-up. Nothing moves until you do.

Photos never leave your device: they're analysed on your computer. Removed photos go to iCloud's Recently Deleted for 30 days with one-click undo. Favourites, videos and photos shared with you are never touched.

The Windows app (from the Microsoft Store) is for photos stored on the PC itself: removed photos go to a Removed folder next to your photos, then to the Recycle Bin after 30 days. For the iCloud library, use Chrome at icloud.com. See the download page for all the apps.

Frequently asked questions

Does iCloud for Windows have a Duplicates album?

Not that Apple's help pages describe. The Duplicates album is documented for the Photos app on iPhone (iOS 16 or later) and on Mac. Apple's iCloud for Windows pages cover syncing, deleting and recovering instead.

If I delete a photo on my PC, is it gone from my iPhone?

Yes. Apple says deleting photos from iCloud Photos removes them from every device where iCloud Photos is turned on. They stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days.

Can I recover something I deleted by mistake?

Yes, within 30 days. At icloud.com/photos open Recently Deleted, select the photos and choose Recover. Apple also says to check the Windows Recycle Bin for files deleted on the PC.

Does this work on a Chromebook?

Yes. Chrome on a Chromebook can open icloud.com/photos and run the Doppelgone extension the same way as on Windows.

Do I need an iPhone or Mac?

No. The Chrome extension doesn't need one. You do need to sign in to your Apple Account at icloud.com.

What does it cost?

The free plan has unlimited scans and 200 clean-ups. Pro is one payment of $9.99, with no subscription, for unlimited clean-ups on up to 3 libraries.

What to do next

Run a free scan in Chrome to see how much of your library is doubles before deciding anything. For the Apple-device route and what to look for afterwards, see how to delete duplicate photos in iCloud Photos and iCloud Recently Deleted explained.

iCloud, iPhone and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc.; Windows is a trademark of Microsoft. Doppelgone is not affiliated with Apple or Microsoft.