Best way to find duplicate files on my mac?

NewStes wrote:

Macbook Pro 16 inch 2029 with macOS Sequoia 15.5.

There are only 20GB free space left and I already tried my best to clean up the storage. I am sure there are many duplicate files, especially the duplicate photos imported from my iPhone. Is there a fast way to find duplicate files on my Mac and only leave one copy after deleting the duplicates?

Not sure how to do this on my mac.

Thanks

Did you try the Photos>Help menu "duplicates" ...(?)

ref: Photos User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Photos User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

alterntives:

* PowerPhotos - $29.9
 https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/

others:

Photos Duplicate Cleaner - Free

https://www.duplicatephotosfixer.com/photocleaner

Duplicate Annihilator for Photos - $7.95

http://brattoo.com/propaganda/#photos

PhotoSweeper - $9.99

https://overmacs.com

To efficiently find and remove duplicate files on your Mac, particularly duplicate photos imported from your iPhone, you can utilize third-party applications designed for this purpose. One such popular application is Gemini 2 by MacPaw, which is known for its ability to scan through your entire system and pinpoint duplicate files accurately.

To use Gemini 2 to clean up duplicate photos on your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Download and install Gemini 2 from the Mac App Store or the MacPaw website.
2. 2. Launch the Gemini 2 application.
3. 3. Click on the "+" button to add a folder or drive you want to scan for duplicates. You can choose to scan your entire Mac or specific folders where you suspect duplicate photos are stored.
4. 4. Once the scan is completed, Gemini 2 will present you with a list of detected duplicate files, including duplicate photos.
5. 5. Review the results and select the duplicate photos you want to remove. Gemini 2 allows you to preview files before deleting them.
6. 6. Proceed to remove the selected duplicate photos by following the on-screen instructions.

By using Gemini 2 or similar applications, you can efficiently clean up duplicate files on your Mac, reclaim valuable storage space, and ensure that only one copy of each file remains. This method provides a fast and comprehensive solution to managing duplicate files on your Macbook Pro 16 inch running macOS Sequoia 15.5.

etresoft wrote:

NewStes wrote:

I am sure there are many duplicate files

I'm sure there are not. The macOS operating system has automatic protection against duplicate files. You really have to work hard to create them. If you haven't done that, then you don't have any duplicate files.

the duplicate photos imported from my iPhone. Is there a fast way to find duplicate files on my Mac and only leave one copy after deleting the duplicates?

If you turn on iCloud Photos, you won't have to worry about importing.

Otherwise, the easiest way to remove these is from Photos itself. You can easily see any duplicates and remove them. But just so you know, unless you've been actively and purposefully importing duplicate photos for many years, this will not make any difference. Photos are just too small.

+ 1

NewStes wrote:

I am sure there are many duplicate files

I'm sure there are not. The macOS operating system has automatic protection against duplicate files. You really have to work hard to create them. If you haven't done that, then you don't have any duplicate files.

the duplicate photos imported from my iPhone. Is there a fast way to find duplicate files on my Mac and only leave one copy after deleting the duplicates?

If you turn on iCloud Photos, you won't have to worry about importing.

Otherwise, the easiest way to remove these is from Photos itself. You can easily see any duplicates and remove them. But just so you know, unless you've been actively and purposefully importing duplicate photos for many years, this will not make any difference. Photos are just too small.

If you believe that the issue " There are only 20GB free space left and I already tried my best to clean up the storage. " is only related to Duplicate Photos

Maybe Yes or maybe No ?

What does Disk Utilities report in regards to " Used " space versus " Free " space ?

That sounds like an ad. You don’t happen to work for MacPaw, do you?