tidying up made easy

Find and delete duplicate photos – and similar ones too

The same photo in three folders, a graphic saved once as PSD and once as TIFF, backups of backups: Album 42 finds duplicate photos and pictures on all drives – on Windows 11 and on the Mac. And because it knows what the pictures show, it finds similar ones too.

Try it free for 28 daysHow it works

How to find duplicate photos

1

Scan everything

Best use “Scan all drives” – then Album 42 compares across all disks.

2

Choose “Duplicates”

In the filter menu under “Selection”, click “Duplicates”. Identical pictures are grouped, with format and file size on every tile.

3

Select redundant

For each format the largest file stays marked green. “Select redundant” marks the rest – then off to the Recycle Bin.

Even with a different name or format

Album 42 compares the thumbnail, not the file name. That is why it also recognises a Photoshop file and the TIFF saved from it as duplicates. If a group contains different formats, its label is red – then you decide what stays.

Find similar images

Right-click a picture and choose “Find similar images”: Album 42 shows whatever looks similar from the whole catalogue, the most similar first. Handy for burst shots or slightly edited versions.

Delete duplicate photos

In every group, the largest file of each format stays marked green. “Select redundant” marks the others; after a confirmation they go to the Recycle Bin. You can change the selection beforehand as you like, for example to keep the photo with the better name.

Tidy up safely: Album 42 never deletes permanently. Whatever you remove goes to the Windows or macOS Recycle Bin and can be restored in Album 42 under “Recycle Bin”. Still, take a look first: Album 42 compares the thumbnail, not the file content.

Frequently asked questions

How does Album 42 recognise duplicate pictures?

It compares the thumbnails of all files in the catalogue. It recognises identical pictures even when they have different names, sit in other folders or use another format.

Can I find and delete duplicate photos on Windows 11?

Yes. Album 42 finds duplicate photos on all drives, on Windows 10 and 11 and on the Mac, and moves the redundant ones to the Recycle Bin after a confirmation.

Are duplicates deleted automatically?

No. You see the groups, “Select redundant” suggests what can go, and only after a confirmation does it go to the Recycle Bin.

Does Album 42 also find duplicates on external hard drives?

Yes, all scanned drives are compared, even unplugged ones. Only files on connected drives can be moved to the Recycle Bin.

Does it run on Windows 11 and on the Mac?

Yes – on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) and on macOS 12 or later, on Macs with Apple silicon and with Intel processors.

don’t panic – just try it:

Try it free for 28 days

No sign-up, no subscription. If you like Album 42, you pay €29 once – including all updates of version 1.

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