Skip > the settings > labyrinth: Many Android apps allow you to change their settings without leaving them. Just look for the gear icon or find it in the menu. For example, in Google Photos, tap your profile icon (upper-right corner) > Photos settings, and you’re there.
Drowning in duplicate photos? Here's how to declutter your digital memories
I remember my parents saying, “Kim, stop wasting the film.” Oh, yes, this was back when we’d put film in a camera, take up to 36 pictures, then wait for the roll to get developed to see if any of the shots were good. Those days are long gone, fortunately.
Now, the average American takes around 20 photos every single day. And I’ll bet many of those are duplicate (or triplicate) shots of the same thing. So, how do we tackle the deluge of doubles? I’ll walk you through the steps. This is a perfect weekend project.
Cleaning up your photo libraries
For Windows: There’s no built-in duplicate finder, so you’ll need to download a third-party app. I recommend Duplicate Cleaner.
- Scan your library: After installing Duplicate Cleaner, the app will review your files by size, content and similarity, catching those pesky near-duplicates.
- Review and delete: Once a scan is completed, the app will present you with a list of duplicates. Review these to make sure no photos are incorrectly marked, and delete any copies to free up storage.
For Apple: Lucky you! The Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, iMac or MacBook has a built-in “duplicate photos” tool. (Just make sure you’ve updated to the latest version.) This tool is so easy to use. Here’s how:
- Open your Photos app and select Albums.
- Scroll down and choose Duplicates. (I just looked at mine and had 2,933 duplicate photos and 49 videos!)
- Hit Select > Select all, then tap the Trash icon to delete them. You can also select Merge to combine your dupes into one great shot.
For Android: Don’t delete your duplicates manually; open the Files by Google app, then select Clean. If you don’t have the app, download it for free from the Google Play Store.
- Next, tap Confirm and free up > See junk files and select what you want to clear.
- When you’re ready, tap Clear > Clear. That’s all it takes to remove screenshots, memes, duplicates and other junk mixed in with your important photos.
For Google Photos: There’s no built-in duplicate-cleaning tool here, so it’s up to you.
- Log into Google Photos, and click Photos in the left panel.
- Select any photos you no longer need (or want), and click Delete.
If you have thousands of duplicates, though, this process could take forever. A third-party app like Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro is a quicker solution.
3 ways to preserve your family memories this holiday season
Do you remember all the stories older relatives told over the years? You probably recollect bits and pieces. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to relive them whenever you wanted?
Then there are photos of your loved ones from over the years — some sadly fading or stashed away in an attic. Let’s get those precious memories out so that everyone can enjoy them.
Google Photos launched in 2015 as a spin-off of Google+, a pseudo-social media network that didn’t make it. Today, how many photos are stored in Google Photos? Is it … A.) 500 million, B.) 1 billion, C.) 2 trillion or D.) 4 trillion?
Delete a photo by accident? Here’s how to get it back
You’re browsing photos, your finger slips and poof! A cherished image is gone forever. Before you panic, know there might be a way to bring it back. The best part is it works even if you accidentally deleted something days ago.
Hidden trackers invade your browser - How to delete them
As long as your phone is on, it’s sharing data. This happens whether you have an iPhone or Android, but one company is tracking much more than the other. Tap or click here to see if Apple or Google collects more data.
🗑️ Bring it back: Don’t panic if you accidentally delete a pic. In the Google Photos app, go to Collections > Trash to see any photos or videos deleted in the last 60 days. In Apple Photos on your iPhone, swipe up, then, under Utilities, tap Recently Deleted. You’ll have 30 days before it’s gone for good, so move quickly!
🧼 Your photos are a mess: Find what you want with AI-powered albums. On a Mac, open Apple Photos and choose File > New Smart Album. Pick what you want (like photos of the beach) and it’ll pull in pics that match. In Google Photos for the web, go to Albums > Create Album. Here, you can choose the people and/or pets you want to include.
Find what you want: Google Photos has a slick, new, Gemini AI-powered tool: Ask Photos. Open your app to see if you have early access. If so, you’ll find an Ask button at the bottom of your screen. Type in searches in regular language, like, “On the boat with Barry” or “Playing ball with Abby.”
👁️📢 Your eyes only: If you have sensitive pics like your driver’s license on your phone, set up a locked folder in Google Photos. Open the Google Photos app > Utilities > Set up Locked Folder. Follow the on-screen directions to finish up.
Want to move from Google Photos to Apple iCloud? Soon, you can just use Google Takeout — no need to download software, upload all your pics or do anything fancy. FYI, transferring won’t delete your data from Google, so you’ll have to do that manually if you’re saying goodbye. The Feds are def making these two play nicely with each other.
All eyes on you: Use Google Photos? See all the pics you took in a specific location. Open the Google Photos app. In the bottom bar, tap Search. Under the Places section, tap View All.
3 apps to digitize physical photos and negatives
Your smartphone makes it easy to share photos with anyone at any time. But unless your phone is your first camera, you may have some old negatives. You can get them developed or scan them into your phone to view and share easily. Tap or click here for tips on converting negatives into digital photos.
I’m a tech expert and these are 3 things I’m asked all the time
You don’t need to spend money on new gadgets to get access to some great features. Sometimes all you need is a little help learning something new. Check out these clever ways to get more out of your Amazon Echo and Alexa.
Best ways to save your phone’s photos before it’s too late
Have you ever lost your phone? There’s that sinking feeling when you realize it’s nowhere to be found.
There are better ways to find a lost phone than getting someone to call it for you. Tap or click for methods to find your misplaced smartphone, even if it’s powered down.
Google is doubling down on AI across its services
The artificial intelligence (AI) wars are heating up as Google tries to play catch-up with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is now being used by many tech companies to improve their services.
Judging by the mishaps we’ve already seen, the Alphabet company has a long way to go. Google has had AI capability baked into its products for some time (including better translation quality in Google Translate), but generative AI will take things to a new level.
Best apps to convert old photos and negatives to digital
Forget scrolling through your phone’s endless photo gallery to find something. Here’s a pro trick to locate any photo you want in 30 seconds or less.
If your photos aren’t backed up, this is your reminder to do it now. You’d be heartbroken should you lose all those memories. Tap or click for the foolproof steps to make the job easier.
Free up space on your Android by updating a single app
No matter the size of your Android phone’s internal storage capacity, ensuring enough space can be complicated. As applications and mobile games grow, so too does their size. Tap or click for eight simple tips to speed up and clean out your Android phone.
5 things you’re paying for that you can get free from Google
If your company uses Google, you’re probably looking at Docs, Sheets, Calendar and more on a daily basis. Did you know you could easily open new Google files from within your browser? Here are the shortcuts you’ll wish you knew sooner.
Listener question: ‘Where’s the safest place to store my wife’s naked pictures?’
Fibbing on the internet is as easy as stealing candy from a baby. So, when a Kim Komando Show listener wrote to me and said he was a world-renowned fashion photographer, I raised an eyebrow. Then he asked me for advice on storing nudes safely, and both eyebrows shot up.