Find and Remove Duplicate Photos on Windows 11
Free up storage space on your Windows 11 computer by finding and safely deleting duplicate photos using the built-in Photos app.
3 min read · 5 steps · Checked July 2026
Step 1. Open the Photos app
Click the Start menu, type 'Photos,' and open the Photos app. This is the built-in photo viewer that comes with Windows 11.
Step 2. Look for the duplicate finder feature
In the Photos app, check the Collection or Album view for a 'Find duplicates' or similar option under the app's menu. Newer versions of the Photos app include this scanning tool built in.
Quick Tip
If your version of the Photos app doesn't include a duplicate finder, Microsoft Store also offers free third-party apps like 'Duplicate Photo Cleaner' that work similarly.
Step 3. Review suggested duplicates carefully
The app will show pairs or groups of similar-looking photos side by side. Look closely before deleting — sometimes photos look similar but are actually slightly different shots taken moments apart.
Step 4. Back up before deleting
Before removing anything, make sure your photos are backed up through OneDrive or another cloud service. So you have a safety net in case you delete something you wanted to keep.
Warning
Once photos are deleted from the Recycle Bin, they generally cannot be recovered, so double-check the Recycle Bin is emptied only after you're confident about your choices.
Step 5. Empty the Recycle Bin to free up space
After deleting duplicates, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select 'Empty Recycle Bin' to actually free up the storage space, since deleted files sit there temporarily rather than being removed right away.
Over the years, it is common to end up with duplicate photos on a Windows computer — the same picture saved twice from different downloads, copies made while organizing folders, or the same photo imported from a phone more than once. These duplicates take up storage space without adding any value, and clearing them out can free up a meaningful amount of room, especially on computers with smaller hard drives.
Windows 11's Photos app includes a built-in way to scan your Pictures folder for duplicate images and review them before deleting anything. So you stay in control of what gets removed rather than deleting files automatically and blindly.
Before deleting any photos, it's worth making sure you have a backup, either through OneDrive, an external hard drive, or another cloud photo service, in case you want to recover something later. Source: support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows and support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/backing-up-your-files.
Official sources
- Microsoft Support — support.microsoft.com
- Windows Help — support.microsoft.com
- Microsoft 365 Help — support.microsoft.com
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