In iOS 16 and later versions, Apple introduced the "Duplicates" feature in the Photos app, which can automatically identify and merge duplicate photos, helping users free up storage space. However, many users have reported that duplicate photos are not showing on iPhone, and even though there are duplicate images, the "Duplicates" section remains empty.
This article will analyze the reasons behind iOS 26/18/17/16 duplicate photos not showing and provide 10 practical solutions to help you quickly restore the duplicate photo detection feature.
Duplicate photos sometimes may not appear on your iOS device. What happened to the duplicate photo? Below are the most common causes of this issue:
If you are experiencing the iOS 16/17/18/26 duplicate photos not showing up issue, worry not. There are simple fixes for this problem. Let us uncover some of them here. By following these tips, you will have a chance to solve the issue and enjoy managing your photo library efficiently.
As mentioned earlier, it takes some time for your iPhone to detect and display duplicate photos after updating to iOS 26/18/17/16. If the duplicate photos aren't showing up in the Duplicate folder yet, try waiting a bit longer.
If your iPhone's battery is low, make sure to charge it to allow the system to continue the detection process. Wait for 10 to 30 minutes and then check again to see if the duplicate photos appear. (iPhone overheating when charging?)
The duplicates folder won't be displayed if no duplicate images are detected in the Photos application. This could also be a major reason why this error occurs. Additionally, the duplicated album will disappear when you've merged all duplicates.
Therefore, a viable way is to duplicate the photos manually. After that, you can check if the iPhone will detect the duplicates. Follow these steps to duplicate photos on an iPhone:
Step 1. Open the "Photos" app and choose a photo.
Step 2. Press the "Share" button and select "Duplicate". Repeat to make more duplicates.
Step 3. Go to "Albums", then "Utilities", and confirm if the "Duplicates" folder is there.
The duplicate detection feature normally helps in identifying identical photos. If you still cannot find duplicate photos in iOS 26, maybe you've set it to videos. In such a case, it won't appear in duplicate photos. You should check the duplicates filter by doing this:
Step 1. Open the Photos application. Click the "Albums" option in the lower section.
Step 2. Next, scroll down to "Utilities", then click on "Duplicates".
Step 3. Click on the "three-dots" button and select the "Filter".
Step 4. Next, choose "All Items", then click "Done". Doing this will ensure your videos and photos appear in the duplicate photo folder.
Are the duplicate photos still not showing on the iPhone? The issue is probably with your network. You should try connecting your phone to another network and check if the issue is resolved. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1. Tap on "Settings" and locate the "Wi-Fi" option.
Step 2. Tap on the "i" icon next to the connected Wi-Fi name. Click on "Forget This Network".
Step 3. Choose another network to use and ensure it is stable. Connect to it and see if the problem is resolved.
If network switching doesn't solve the issue of iOS 16/17/18/26 duplicate photos not showing, the problem might be deeper, such as corrupted network settings. Resetting network settings restores connectivity to the default. Below are the steps to reset the network settings:
Step 1. Head to the "Settings" menu, locate the "General" option, and tap on it.
Step 2. Proceed to "Reset" and tap on "Reset Network Settings".
Step 3. Enter your phone's passcode to confirm the process.
A restart is one of the most common solutions to phone problems. It clears out memory, bringing everything back to its original state. This may also resolve basic iOS issues, such as iPhone duplicate photos not showing in iOS 26. Here is how to do it:
Step 1. Hold the "Power" and "Volume Down" keys together until the power off slider shows.
Step 2. Drag the slider to switch off the phone and wait for the device to shut down.
Step 3. Hold the "Power" key again to reboot.
If resetting the device's network settings doesn't resolve the issue of duplicate photos not showing in iOS 26/18/17/16, then try resetting all settings. Here is how to do it:
Step 1. Open the "Settings" app.
Step 2. Go to "General" and then "Reset". Choose "Reset All Settings".
Note that this will reset your device's settings to default, so you'll need to reconfigure things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections afterward. If your iPhone cannot connect to the Wi-Fi, click here to learn how to resolve it.
Make sure that your iOS device is running the latest available software update. Sometimes, issues can be resolved by updating to the latest version of iOS, which may include bug fixes and improvements. You should check for iOS updates and install them on your device right away. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1. Launch the "Settings" application on your iOS device, head to "General", and proceed to "Software Update".
Step 2. Check for new updates available. If there is, click on "Download and Install". Follow the onscreen prompts to install updates on your phone. (iPhone won't update?)
If none of the above steps work, it might be time to reach out to Apple Support. They have the expertise to guide you through more advanced troubleshooting steps and might be aware of any ongoing issues related to iOS 16 and duplicate photos.
If you have tried all the fixes mentioned above and the iOS 16/17/18/26 duplicate photos not showing error still exists, you can try a professional system recovery tool - iOS System Recovery. It will help you troubleshoot it without any skills and fix iOS system problems with a click of a button. Whether the problem is the inability of your iOS device to show Duplicate Photos or another issue, this tool can handle and fix it without effort in a few minutes and without data loss.
The highlights of iOS System Recovery:
Here is how to fix duplicate photos not showing on iPhone/iPad via iOS System Recovery:
01Download and install the iOS System Recovery application on your computer. Then, launch it and connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable.
02Choose "iOS System Recovery" from the main interface and proceed to click on the "Start" button.
03Choose the repair mode you want and click "Confirm" to continue. Then, click on the "Repair" icon. The right firmware for your phone will instantly start downloading.
04When done, the software will repair your iPhone, fix all system issues, and help the duplicate photos show up.
Now you know how to fix the iOS 16/17/18/26 duplicate photos not showing issue. You can follow the ways mentioned above to try to resolve the problem. If conventional methods don't work, you can use iOS System Recovery to repair your iPhone without data loss.
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