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Find duplicate photos on a Mac: the Photos library, folders and drives

Updated November 8, 2026 · 6 min read

To find duplicate photos on a Mac, open the Photos app and click Duplicates under Utilities in the sidebar, then merge the sets you want. That covers exact copies inside your Photos library. It doesn't cover photos in ordinary folders, on external drives or in a Lightroom catalogue, and Apple's pages don't describe it choosing between similar shots. For those you need a separate tool.

Step 1: The Duplicates album in Photos

Apple says that if your library has duplicate photos or videos, they appear automatically in the Duplicates collection in Utilities. Depending on the size of your library, duplicates may take some time to appear while Photos analyses them. Apple's guide is published for macOS Ventura 13 and later.

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Click Duplicates below Utilities in the sidebar. If you don't see it, hold the pointer over Utilities and click the button that appears.
  3. Select the duplicates you want to merge. Press Command-A to select all of them.
  4. Click Merge, then click Merge again in the dialog.

Apple says one original photo or video appears where the selected duplicates were, and the deleted duplicates go to Recently Deleted, where you can recover them within 30 days. If you use an iCloud Shared Photo Library, choose Both Libraries from the Library pop-up menu first.

Bursts in Photos

Photos on the Mac can also help with bursts shot on an iPhone. In the Bursts album, double-click a burst, click Make a Selection on the photos you like, then click Keep Only Selection. Apple says the unselected photos go to Recently Deleted. It's one burst at a time.

Step 2: Folders and drives outside Photos

The Duplicates album only looks inside the Photos library. Photos kept in Pictures subfolders, Downloads, an old backup or an external drive aren't in it.

Apple's Mac help doesn't describe a built-in way to find duplicate files in Finder, so as far as Apple's documentation goes, there isn't one. You can sort a folder by name, date or size and compare by eye. That's fine for a dozen files and impractical for thousands.

Don't delete inside the Photos library in Finder

Your Photos library is a single package in the Pictures folder. Apple's warning is direct: to avoid accidentally deleting or corrupting a Photos library, do not manually access or alter the contents of a library in the Finder. If you want to copy, move or transfer files, export them from the library first. Delete duplicates from inside Photos or with a tool that works through Photos, never by opening the package and removing files.

Step 3: Tools for folders, drives and catalogues

These are the Mac options we checked on the makers' own pages on 8 Nov 2026. Prices are from the US Mac App Store.

Tool Where it looks Price Worth knowing
PhotoSweeper (Overmacs) Photos library, Lightroom Classic, Capture One, folders and drives $14.99 (Mac App Store, macOS 10.15 or later); trial on the maker's site Built for photographers' catalogues. In Lightroom it marks photos as Rejected; in Capture One and folders, files go to the Trash
Gemini 2 (MacPaw) Folders, disks, Photos library, Music, external drives Free to download; Yearly Access $19.99 and Smart Cleanup $19.99 in-app (Mac App Store) Any file type, plus a Duplicates Monitor that watches for new duplicates. Without a paid plan, you delete by hand
dupeGuru (open source) Folders you choose Free (GPL-3.0) Has a Picture mode for similar images. The latest tagged release is 4.3.1, from 9 July 2022

PhotoSweeper is the stronger choice if you keep a Lightroom Classic or Capture One catalogue, as it works with them directly. Gemini 2 suits anyone who wants every kind of duplicate file found, not just photos. dupeGuru is a good free pick if you're comfortable with a plain interface and don't mind the older release.

Doppelgone for Mac

Doppelgone for Mac needs macOS 14 Sonoma or newer and has builds for Apple silicon and Intel Macs. It's downloaded from doppelgone.app, and it's signed and notarised with Apple.

  • It scans the Apple Photos library, folders or an external drive, on the Mac. Nothing is uploaded, and HEIC files are read as they are. Your photos never leave your device.
  • It finds exact duplicates, similar shots and burst photos, keeps the best shot of each set (eyes open, sharp, well lit) and says why. You approve every clean-up.
  • From Apple Photos, removed photos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days. They leave your other devices too when iCloud Photos is on.
  • From folders, removed photos move to a Removed folder next to your photos, then to the Trash after 30 days. Undo is one click.
  • Scanning is free, and so are the first 200 clean-ups. Pro is one payment of $9.99 with no subscription, for up to 3 libraries. See pricing.

Videos aren't part of Doppelgone clean-ups. The Mac app doesn't reach Google Photos or icloud.com in the cloud: the Chrome extension does that. It does clean the Apple Photos library, which syncs with iCloud Photos when that is on.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find duplicate photos in the Photos app on a Mac?

Open Photos and click Duplicates under Utilities in the sidebar, select the sets you want, then click Merge. If you can't see Duplicates, hold the pointer over Utilities and click the button that appears.

What does Merge do in Photos on Mac?

Apple says one original photo or video appears where the selected duplicates were, and the deleted duplicates go to Recently Deleted. You can recover them there within 30 days.

Does Finder have a duplicate photo finder?

Apple's Mac help doesn't describe one. Finder can sort and search files, but finding duplicates across folders takes a separate tool.

Can I delete duplicate photos from the Photos library in Finder?

No. Apple warns against manually accessing or altering the contents of a Photos library in Finder, because you could delete or corrupt it. Use Photos itself, or export files first.

Does the Duplicates album find similar photos?

Apple's page describes duplicate photos and videos, and doesn't say it picks the best of several similar shots. For retakes and lookalikes, use a tool that groups similar photos, or go through them by hand.

Which Mac tool works with Lightroom or Capture One?

PhotoSweeper lists direct support for both and is the one to try first for that. Doppelgone doesn't read those catalogues: it scans the Photos library, folders and drives.

What to do next

Clear the Duplicates album first, then scan the folders and drives you haven't looked at. If your Mac Photos library syncs with iCloud, read iCloud Recently Deleted, explained before you merge in bulk, and is it safe to delete duplicate photos if you're unsure what to keep.

Mac, Photos, iCloud and Finder are trademarks of Apple Inc. Gemini 2 is a trademark of MacPaw; PhotoSweeper is by Overmacs. Doppelgone is not affiliated with Apple, MacPaw or Overmacs.

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