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Duplicates album doesn’t find similar photos

The short answer

The Duplicates album doesn’t find similar photos because Apple’s guide describes it as a place for duplicate photos and videos, and one third-party source says that as of iOS 26 it cannot flag photos that are not exact copies. Shots taken a second apart, or from a burst, are different photos. You sort those by hand or with a similar-photos tool.

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How to do it

  1. Open the Duplicates collection

    In the Photos app, tap Collections, scroll down to Utilities, then tap Duplicates. If you don’t see it, your iPhone has not identified any duplicates.

  2. Compare it with a set you know is similar

    Find two or three shots of the same moment in your library. If they are not in the Duplicates collection, that is the gap this page is about.

  3. Open Similar photos in PicWay

    In PicWay, open Similar photos.

  4. Choose what to keep, group by group

    Keep what you marked, keep all, or set all aside. Set-aside photos stay in your library.

What does the Duplicates collection cover?

Apple’s guide says the Photos app identifies duplicate photos and videos in your library in the Duplicates collection, and that you can merge them to save space (Apple’s merge guide). Apple doesn’t describe how close two photos must be to count.

For why the album can be missing, and how merging works, see how to remove duplicate photos on iPhone. This page is about the other problem: it is there, but your near-identical shots are not in it.

Why do similar photos not show up?

According to HandyRecovery, as of iOS 26 the built-in Photos app can’t merge or flag photos that are not exact duplicates, so two shots that look almost the same but differ slightly are not picked up. This is a third-party statement, not Apple’s.

Kind of photoIn Apple’s Duplicates collection?
The same photo saved twiceDescribed by Apple as duplicates
Three shots of one momentPer HandyRecovery, not flagged
Frames from a burstNot described by Apple as duplicates; per HandyRecovery, near matches are not flagged

Where does PicWay draw the line?

PicWay splits the two groups on purpose. Duplicate items only holds photos with the same dimensions that look the same when compared, and videos with exactly the same length and file size. Bursts of the same scene go under Similar photos, not in Duplicate items.

So the near-identical shots your iPhone leaves alone are exactly what Similar photos is for.

How do I sort similar photos in PicWay?

In Similar photos, tap Keep on a photo to mark it, then tap the button that keeps what you marked. Keep all keeps the group, and Set all aside keeps nothing from it for now.

Set-aside photos are still in your library. Open Set aside to review them, and tap Continue deleting when you are ready. For the full steps, including bursts, read how to delete similar photos and bursts. To compare the two apps, see PicWay vs. the Photos app.

Quick answers

Does merging in the Photos app also merge similar photos?

Apple’s guide describes merging for sets of duplicates. According to HandyRecovery, it does not apply to photos that are not exact copies.

Can I make the Duplicates album find similar photos?

Apple’s pages don’t describe a setting for that. Its support article only says the album appears once your iPhone has indexed your library and found duplicates (Apple).

Is a burst the same as a duplicate?

In PicWay, no. Bursts of the same scene are grouped as Similar photos.