How to delete duplicate screenshots on Android

Why there are so many copies

• Pressing the buttons twice, or taking the same screen again a minute later.
• Editing or cropping a screenshot, which often saves a second copy next to the first.
• Messaging apps saving their own copy of a screenshot you sent.
• Restoring a backup onto a new phone that already had some of the same pictures.

Finding them with Files by Google

Files by Google, on many Android phones already, has a Clean tab. It can suggest duplicate files and old screenshots to delete. Open each suggestion and look through it before you confirm: it groups by file, so check which copy you're keeping.

Before you delete anything

• Keep the clearest copy. When two copies differ, keep the sharper or uncropped one.
• Check your backup. If Google Photos backs up your phone, deleting a screenshot there removes it from your Google account too once it leaves the trash.
• Use a trash, not instant delete. Android 11 and newer have a trash for photos, so a mistake can be undone for a while.

The other clutter worth clearing

Duplicates are rarely the only problem. Blurry screenshots you took by accident, one-time codes that expired long ago and screenshots over a year old are usually safe to clear, and together they're often bigger than the duplicates.