How can I avoid duplicate photos in my Photos Library?

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Level 1

4 points

How can I avoid duplicate photos in my Photos Library?

I understand the idea that all photos are saved together in the photo library and copying them around into different albums don’t create duplicates and doesn’t take up any extra storage. My question here is that even with the photos being in the main photo library sometimes it’s in 2 or 3 different folders unnecessarily. For example I download a picture of my family from WhatsApp. Whatsapp will create an album and store it in there. Now on my photos I have an album for storing all my family photos so I copy it there. Now I don’t want them in my WhatsApp folder anymore. It makes it useless to have them there as I prefer it in my family album and if later I check I might think I haven’t moved this picture already and it just makes things confusing. I have to manually come and delete it off myself. So I’m just wondering why can’t we just have an option to either move or copy. I don’t understand what is the harm of just having both move and copy available for the user to decide and do what they want. I hope my explanations are not too complicated or if I’m wrong and I’m missing out on something then can someone please guide me to the right direction. Thank you

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Nov 6, 2024 1:49 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 6, 2024 5:59 AM in response to sukhchino

Your first sentence tells you why:

sukhchino wrote:

I understand the idea that all photos are saved together in the photo library and copying them around into different albums don’t create duplicates and doesn’t take up any extra storage.

You aren't copying or moving, so as to not use additional space. The photo in albums are just pointers to the one singular photo in your library. There is only 1 actual photo.

Copying it or moving it will create a new photo and of course use more space which Apple tries to avoid.

It also allows any changes to a photo to be visible in every album the photo is in. Otherwise, if say I adjust lighting and color tone on a photo in one album, but that photo is copied to other albums, then those adjustments would not apply to the other photos. Having one single photo, means it's always updated and adjusted in all albums it is in.

If you need to remove them from an album, then yes, you need to do so manually.

You can always offer Apple feedback if you would like to see changes to their apps and software.

click here ➜ Feedback - Photos - Apple

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Answer 2

sukhchino Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 6, 2024 8:58 AM in response to sukhchino

I might have said it wrong. I’m not trying to make extra copies of the photo but what I’m trying to ask is that I just want the photos to be pointed to a different album and remove it from the album that it was in earlier. Like move the pointer from one album to another rather than just copy it and having them in so many albums. Can’t we have both options so that when we move we don’t have to come back and delete the picture manually and if for some reason the photo is needed in more than one album then we can use the copy/add to album. I know that if editing is done then it would surely change the picture in all the albums the picture is pointed at. I hope you get my point. Thank you

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Answer 3

Nov 6, 2024 11:10 AM in response to sukhchino

I get the point, the issue, is the pointer is neither moved nor copied. You merely make another pointer to the single photo. Existing pointers aren't affected in any way by this.

Whether it can be done or not, I can't says I don't know how the photos app works internally.

As said, if you really want this option, send Apple feedback, if many do, then they may be compelled to make the change.

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Answer 4

sukhchino Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 6, 2024 8:26 AM in response to Phil0124

Thank you

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