---
title: "Duplicates album doesn’t find similar photos"
description: "The Duplicates album doesn’t find similar photos, so near-identical shots and bursts stay put. See what it covers and how to sort the rest in PicWay."
url: "https://picway.app/guides/duplicates-album-misses-similar-photos-iphone/"
lang: "en"
type: "guides"
updated: "2026-11-01"
published: "2026-11-01"
keywords: "Duplicates album doesn't find similar photos"
---

# Duplicates album doesn’t find similar photos

URL: https://picway.app/guides/duplicates-album-misses-similar-photos-iphone/
Markdown: https://picway.app/guides/duplicates-album-misses-similar-photos-iphone/index.md
Last updated: 2026-11-01

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.

## How to do it {#steps}

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? {#what-duplicates-covers}

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](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/merge-duplicate-photos-and-videos-iph1978d9c23/ios)). 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](https://picway.app/guides/duplicate-photos-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? {#why-similar-not-shown}

According to [HandyRecovery](https://www.handyrecovery.com/merge-duplicate-photos-iphone/), 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 photo | In Apple’s Duplicates collection? |
|---|---|
| The same photo saved twice | Described by Apple as duplicates |
| Three shots of one moment | Per HandyRecovery, not flagged |
| Frames from a burst | Not described by Apple as duplicates; per HandyRecovery, near matches are not flagged |

## Where does PicWay draw the line? {#picway-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? {#sort-similar-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](https://picway.app/guides/clean-similar-burst-photos/). To compare the two apps, see [PicWay vs. the Photos app](https://picway.app/compare/apple-photos/).

## Quick answers {#faq}

### Does merging in the Photos app also merge similar photos? {#faq-merge-similar}

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? {#faq-make-it-find}

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](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102260)).

### Is a burst the same as a duplicate? {#faq-burst-duplicate}

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