'Duplicate' pictures in Google Photos

[DustBow]

Still having this issue as well - though maybe not quite as bad as previously.

It's strange - there's really no rhyme or reason or pattern as to which pics get duplicated. The other day I snapped 5 test pictures in a row about 1-2 seconds apart. I gave it some time to back up after I was home and connected to wifi. When I checked the Google Photos app 2 or 3 of the pics had duplicates but not the others.....weird.

Just want this to get rectified - I've switched to using the HTC Gallery app but I would prefer to use the Google Photos.

 

[lutin]

I don't have a huge amount to add to the discussion other than to say that I have been having the same issue as the OP describes for a few months now. I have a Galaxy S6.

 

[RaghavKumar]

I am using the galaxy note 5... And I am also experiencing the same issue. It had got nothing to do with the SD card... As people with galaxy note and s6 also had it.... Something bug in the app is causing the issue... I searched for some active threads with the exact issue... I couldn't find.. If you guys know please share the link...

 

[luckywabbit]

Got a new update to Google Photos today. Guess what, it's uploading a bunch of duplicate photos. Makes me want to stop using it because it's so annoying.

 

[lutin]

Got a new update to Google Photos today. Guess what, it's uploading a bunch of duplicate photos. Makes me want to stop using it because it's so annoying.

It's a long shot, but maybe this suggests that it will stop creating duplicates going forward? Fingers crossed.

 

[jianrong]

I dont use google photo. Just not as good as syncing compare to icloud photo backup. I just backup to computer and external from sdcard occasionally. Sure its an hassle for not replacing when copying.

 

[eewwyeah]

you are not alone with this. I've been having issues with this since I got my S7E. It happens, goes away, then reappears. I have been back and forth on one of the google forums discussing this same issue, but to no avail.

 

[SpookDroid]

But are you getting duplicates UPLOADED? Mine was showing duplicates (doesn't seem to be doing it now, though) in Photos, but it never uploaded duplicates (when going to Photos on the web I only saw a single copy).

 

[everlightdark]

Google photos always does this where they upload the photo that you originally took and then make a copy and then modify it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[SpookDroid]

Google photos always does this where they upload the photo that you originally took and then make a copy and then modify it.

Posted via the Android Central App

Different things. This is not the "Magic wand" picture that you can edit in Photos. This is the mobile app showing duplicates of the same picture with different file paths (actually one doesn't even have a file path).

 

[hp79]

Happening randomly on my S7 Edge as well. Not only the photos, but the videos are also duplicated and file names end with ......(1).*
I have a Verizon S7 Edge with 935U ROM on it, so there's no carrier crap.

Initially I thought this was happening because of the app I have called "SyncMe" touches my photos while backing everything up to my computer. (I have it setup as one way sync, when on wi-fi and while charging)

I have GooglePhotos backup set to backup original size only when on wifi and while charging.
It's really annoying seeing duplicates getting downloaded in my GoogleDrive on my macbook. I then delete all these, but after a day or two they are back. WTF.

 

[LindaRog]

I experienced the same thing with the Android app and I exceeded my data through repeated auto-synch of photos.

 

[wgs84]

But are you getting duplicates UPLOADED? Mine was showing duplicates (doesn't seem to be doing it now, though) in Photos, but it never uploaded duplicates (when going to Photos on the web I only saw a single copy).

I'm having this problem on my S7. The Google Photos app on my phone shows some photos as duplicates, but the duplicates aren't actually uploaded. I know this because looking at my photos on the web, I only see one instance. The same is true if I look at my photos from my tablet. This is only happening on my phone. Also, when you check out the properties of the duplicate photos in the Google Photos app, it's clear that it's showing the online-only version as well as the local version. My guess is that something is happening to either the online-version or local-version, which causes the Google Photos app to think that they're different photos, but then I wouldn't know why duplicates don't get uploaded. One exception: a video that I took got uploaded twice.

I've already sent feedback on this to Google. You guys ought to do the same and just hammer them with feedback.

 

[SpookDroid]

I haven't seen the issue anymore on the Note 7, so can't send any usable feedback and like we've said, I only saw the duplicates on the device, not on the actual backed up files.

 

[Marc Rees]

Guys I had this problem for ages and it was bugging the hell it of me so thought I would share the solution.

I realised I was getting duplicates uploaded because of 'event' creation within the stock gallery app. They are only created when multiple photos are taken in a period of time which also explains the randomness of duplicates.

I turned off events in the stock gallery settings and the duplicates have stopped!

Hope that helps.

 

[lutin]

Guys I had this problem for ages and it was bugging the hell it of me so thought I would share the solution.

I realised I was getting duplicates uploaded because of 'event' creation within the stock gallery app. They are only created when multiple photos are taken in a period of time which also explains the randomness of duplicates.

I turned off events in the stock gallery settings and the duplicates have stopped!

Hope that helps.

I think you've cracked it! Was looking at some of the photos and videos created under that Event thing and sure enough, many, if not all of my duplicates were there.

Nice work Sherlock!

 

[luckywabbit]

I have changed my setting a week ago and though I haven't taken many photos I am seeing this duplicate photo issue again on at least a couple of photos. Not sure what is going on. Was saving to SD card. Going to switch to save to Phone and see if this happens again. I think in addition to Events something else still creating duplicates.

 

[zaeemmirza]

Is anyone seeing the duplicates in the web version or in other synced devices or just in the S7 Edge? In my case, the duplicates are just in the Photos app on the Edge. If I go to another device or the web version, no duplicates there.

I have duplicates on Google photos on the phone and on the web. I used to manually delete earlier when I saw this couple months ago then I stopped it as I have lots of space on the Google drive but yes need a better solution. I think it's making a copy of the HDR pics.

 

[wetworkM]

I dont think they are "duplicates" of photos so to speak. Ive come across this as well, but I have a feeling its "date modified" related. Hear me out.

I have a Samsung S7 and I use 1 second everday to cut snippets of movies together, cool app. To save a snippet on a particular day it uses the date of the video or photo that you want to use. I dont cut snippets to the app everyday, but usually wait for a week or two to string a whole bunch together.

A few times I have gone to use the app and it tells me there are no videos taken in a series of random days, even though I KNOW that I have. Go in and check my camera roll, sure enough the videos are there with the filename being captured on that day. Go into the online section of google photos, yep, its there and backup up to the same day it was taken. But then after checking the details of the video it has a different date modified date on it ... and its being backed up to google photos AGAIN as it being taken on the day it was modified, so am ending up with duplicate media on google photos. Even though A) its already been backup up and B) the date modified date has been changed "somehow" ...

I have NO idea how the date of some media is being changed, there is no concrete structure to the videos that are modified. Only its all media from X day or day/s.

Maybe you guys could do the same with your duplicated media, check the date of them on your device and see if its the same thing ?

 

[gazzaw26]

You're absolutely spot on, I realised last night, it was only photos I had edited or modified in some way, it can't work out if it's a duplicate or not, it should give you an offer to replace the original, but it's bugged me for several months, but the option to delete should also have a delete all versions, not just device copy, at least I can now manage the situation, but what a faff to sort out, Google could give better support on such things