Your iPhone has a hidden folder eating up storage space without you even knowing

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Your iPhone has a hidden folder eating up storage space without you even knowing

Is

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running out of space?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with some little-known tricks to

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and keep your device running smoothly.

Ready to reclaim valuable space? Starting with iOS 16, the Photos app on your iPhone automatically detects duplicate photos and videos, organizing them into a Duplicates album located in the Utilities section.

Be sure to

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. Remember you need to have at least iOS 16 running on your iPhone. All iPhones, including iPhone 8 and later, can update to iOS 16. This includes:

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max

iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max

iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max

iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max

iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later

If you have an older phone,

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.

Important: If you’re running iOS 16 or later and don’t have any duplicates, the Duplicates folder will not appear in the Utilities section of the Photos app.

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Now follow these simple steps to clear out duplicate photos and videos that are hogging your iPhone’s storage:

Scroll down to the Utilities section and there, you’ll find a tab called Duplicates. Tap on it

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This folder is where

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of all your duplicate photos and videos. Many users are shocked to discover how many duplicates they have. For instance, you might have received the same image in multiple chats. Clearing out these duplicates can instantly free up gigabytes of storage.

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Scroll down and find the Duplicates folder in the Utilities section

You’ll see duplicate files listed with a Merge button next to or above each

Tap Merge to remove duplicates and keep the original file

Confirm your decision by clicking the pop-up window at the bottom of the screen that will say, Merge # Exact Copies. The number will change depending on how many files you are merging

For faster cleanup, tap Select in the top right corner

Choose multiple duplicates or click Select All to merge everything at once

You’ll see Merge check marks in the blue circle for each pair you wish to merge

Then tap at the bottom of the screen

Then click the pop-up with Merge (number) Exact Copies Only or Merge (number) Items and wait for the process to finish

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If you need even more space, try these additional tips:

Review the storage breakdown and app usage

Check Apple’s recommendations at the top of the page

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Some effective space-saving options include:

Review large attachments: A quick way to reclaim storage is by deleting unnecessary videos and documents from your messages

Auto-delete old conversations: By enabling it, it automatically removes all your messages and attachments that were sent or received one year ago

Remove older downloads: Keeps only the latest five automatically downloaded episodes per show

Review downloaded media: Manually check and remove unnecessary downloads

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These simple tricks can help you reclaim significant storage space on your iPhone. Regularly checking your Duplicates folder and following Apple’s storage recommendations can keep your device running smoothly without the need for costly upgrades. Remember to review your storage periodically to maintain optimal performance.

Do you think clearing duplicate photos will change how you take or manage photos going forward, and if so, how? Let us know by writing us at

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#iPhone #hidden #folder #eating #storage #space #knowing

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