Process

Duplicate Detection

Identify and manage duplicate files in your collection

Overview

Duplicate Detection identifies duplicate and visually similar images and videos in your collection. It first compares files by metadata (file size, creation date, and dimensions) to find exact duplicates, then compares them visually using perceptual hashing so it can also catch the same image saved at a different size, quality, or format. How thorough the visual comparison is depends on the Detection Accuracy you choose in Settings (Fast, Balanced, or Thorough), which controls how many matching methods are used. Videos are compared by sampling frames from each one. Matches are grouped as Exact Duplicate, Visual Duplicate, and Related Files (RAW plus processed pairs), then presented in an interactive review window with side-by-side comparison. Nothing is deleted while you browse: you mark the images you want to remove as you go, then delete them all at once.

When to Use

Use Duplicate Detection when your collection may contain duplicate files — especially after importing from several sources, merging collections, or consolidating photos from multiple photographers or devices — or when you want to recover storage space. It suits cleaning up a collection before archiving or sharing, and it goes beyond matching identical files to find visually similar images saved at a different compression, format, or resolution.

Requirements

  • Image files (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, HEIC, BMP, GIF, WebP, AVIF, JPEG XL, and RAW formats from major camera brands); video files are included by default and can be excluded in Detection Settings
  • Files must be readable, and writable if you delete duplicates during review
  • Enough memory to process the collection (it is compared in a single pass with steady memory use)
  • Cloud files should be downloaded and available locally before a scan; placeholder files may not read for comparison
  • Files must not be write-protected if you intend to delete them during review

How to Use

  1. Select your files in the left Folder Navigator panel
  2. Select 'Duplicate Detection' from the process bar (with files loaded) — the two-stage analysis starts automatically; selecting it with nothing loaded does nothing
  3. Stage 1 groups exact duplicates by a size, date, and dimensions key
  4. Stage 2 compares files visually to flag near-duplicates saved at a different size, quality, or format; videos are compared by sampled frames
  5. Watch the log as the comparison runs
  6. When the analysis finishes, the review window opens with the duplicate groups
  7. Compare each pair side by side, with their metadata shown
  8. For each pair, Mark the one image you want to delete (marking the other image in the pair clears the first — at most one per pair); leave both unmarked to keep them
  9. Move through the pairs with 'Previous' and 'Next'; 'Next' is disabled on the last pair (there is no 'Finish' button)
  10. Click 'Start' to delete every image you marked in one batch — it stays disabled until you have marked at least one
  11. Protected files you marked are skipped and reported rather than deleted, and any RAW + processed (Related Files) pair you marked asks for one combined confirmation before it is removed
  12. Close the window, or press 'Cancel' or Escape, to finish without deleting; either way the file list refreshes
  13. The log keeps the duplicates found and, after a delete, the list of removed files; it clears only when you click 'Refresh'

Tips & Important Notes

  • Detection starts on its own the moment you select Duplicate Detection with files loaded - there is no button to press to begin the scan. To run it again, select the process again or use 'Refresh'
  • The analysis runs in two stages: Stage 1 finds exact duplicates by metadata, and Stage 2 finds visually similar images
  • The visual-match threshold depends on the Detection Accuracy you choose in Settings: Thorough matches more strictly, Fast more leniently
  • Large collections are handled in a single pass with steady memory use, so you can scan thousands of files at once
  • When deciding which file in a group to keep, compare image quality, resolution, and metadata
  • The same image saved in different formats (for example, JPEG and TIFF) is still matched, because Stage 2 compares the pictures rather than the files
  • Stage 2 relies on visual comparison alone; file size and dimensions do not affect which files are flagged as visual duplicates
  • Nothing is deleted while you browse. You mark the images you want to remove as you review the pairs, then delete them all at once with 'Start' - so you can change your mind on any mark before committing
  • You can mark only one image per pair, and your marks add up across every pair and group, so a single 'Start' clears out everything you flagged in the session
  • Any image you marked that turns out to be protected is skipped and noted in the log rather than deleted, so a locked file never stops the rest of the batch
  • If you mark a RAW or processed file paired with its counterpart as Related Files, or mark photos that have edit files, Archyv asks for one combined confirmation before removing them
  • Edit files go with the photo: a Lightroom or Apple Photos edit file belonging to a photo you delete moves to the Trash with it, and Undo brings them back together - unless another photo you are keeping still uses it, in which case it stays put
  • Consider metadata, keywords, and photographer attribution when you choose which duplicate to delete
  • Cloud files should be downloaded and available locally before a scan; placeholder files may not read for comparison
  • The log keeps the comparison details from the scan and, when you delete, adds the list of removed files below them; it clears only when you click 'Refresh'