HT204476: Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries

Learn about Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries
NashvilleGib

Q: I am getting multiple duplicates of photos in my library.   Why?  How can I avoid this?

How do I avoid unintended duplicates in my Photos library?   I am getting multiple duplicates for many many photos.   They seem to be true duplicates with the same file number.   Is this happening  as a result of iCloud backup?

iMac

Posted on Dec 18, 2015 10:28 AM

Close

Q: I am getting multiple duplicates of photos in my library.   Why?  How can I avoid this?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by LarryHN,Helpful

    LarryHN LarryHN Dec 18, 2015 1:51 PM in response to NashvilleGib
    Level 10 (84,125 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Dec 18, 2015 1:51 PM in response to NashvilleGib

    How to stop - stop importing the same photo multiple times

     

    and there is no iCloud BackUp for a Mac - and a backup does not ever duplicate anything - it is just a backup in case of emergency

     

    Since you supply no information at all one can only guess - the most common reason to have duplicates is using both MyPhotoStream and either iTunes Sync or direct import thereby importing the same photo multiple times

     

    To get help you need to give us information - what OS are you running? What Photos software? What iCLoud services adn what setting for them?

     

    see Writing an effective Apple Support Communities question

     

    LN

  • by NashvilleGib,

    NashvilleGib NashvilleGib Dec 18, 2015 2:04 PM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2015 2:04 PM in response to LarryHN

    Hey, Thank you Larry!   I do have the photo streaming activated, and I'll bet that's where the duplication comes from.  I will follow up on that

     

     

    To answer your questions, I use a Macbook Pro retina display 15-inch,  running the latest version of  OS X El Capitan -- 10.11.2   and Photos Version 1.3    I have iCloud storage service, but my understanding is that it stores only what I manually feed to it.   I notice that the Cloud feeds photos from my computer to my iPhone -- and probably vice versa but don't know if that means there could be some sort of loop  created where photos originating on the phone get sent repeatedly the Mac.

     

     

    Again, thank you for the photo streaming  point.  I'll try to figure that out.