How to Duplicate a Photo on iPhone

To duplicate a photo on an iPhone, open it in the Photos app, tap the More button (three dots), and tap Duplicate. A copy appears next to the original in your library, so you can edit one and keep the other untouched. It works for videos too.

These steps match Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, the current version in October 2026. The same steps are documented for iOS 16, 17, 18 and 26. Only iOS 15 and earlier are different, and that method is covered separately below.

In this guide

• Duplicate one photo or video
• Duplicate several photos at once
• Duplicate vs. Copy
• Older iPhones: iOS 15 and earlier
• Find, check and remove the copy
• Troubleshooting and FAQs

Duplicate a photo or video

You don’t need to install anything or change a setting. Duplicate is built into Photos on iOS 16 and later.

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap the photo or video you want to copy so it fills the screen.
3. Tap the More button (…) in the top-right corner. If you don’t see any buttons, tap the photo once to bring the controls back.
4. Tap Duplicate.

There is no confirmation message. Apple says the duplicate appears next to the original in your library. Go back to the library and you should see two identical thumbnails side by side.

Apple’s own instructions are in Duplicate and copy photos and videos on iPhone. Use the version selector at the top of that page if your iPhone runs an older iOS.

Duplicate several photos at once

Apple’s iOS 16 and iOS 17 guides document a way to duplicate a group of photos:

1. In Photos, open your library. On iOS 16 and 17, tap Library, then All Photos or Days.
2. Tap Select.
3. Tap each photo or video you want. A checkmark shows what is selected.
4. Tap the More button (…), then tap Duplicate.

Apple’s guides for iOS 18, 26 and 27 no longer list this group method. They only describe Copy for a selection. If you don’t see Duplicate after selecting several items, open each photo and duplicate it on its own.

Duplicate vs. Copy: which one do you need?

Both options sit in the same More menu, and they do different jobs.

Option	What it does	Use it when
Duplicate	Adds a second photo to your Photos library.	You want two versions, such as an original and an edited one.
Copy	Puts the photo on the clipboard (temporary storage for pasting). Nothing new is added to your library.	You want to paste the photo into a message, email, note or document.

Copy one photo to paste somewhere else

Open the photo, tap the More button, and tap Copy. Then open the other app, touch and hold where the photo should go, and tap Paste.

Copy several photos at once

1. In Photos, tap Select.
2. Tap each photo you want.
3. Tap the More button, then tap Copy.
4. Paste the copies into another app.

Older iPhones: iOS 15 and earlier

Apple moved Duplicate into the More menu in iOS 16. Before that, it was in the Share menu. Apple no longer publishes its iOS 15 guide, so the steps below are based on how the feature was described at the time, not on a current Apple page.

1. Open Photos and tap the photo.
2. Tap the Share button (a square with an upward arrow) in the bottom-left corner.
3. Scroll down the list of actions and tap Duplicate.

To check your version, go to Settings > General > About. iOS 27 runs on the iPhone 11 and later, plus the iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later. iOS 16 needs an iPhone 8 or later, so an iPhone 7 or older uses the Share menu method.

Find the copy, edit it, or remove it

Confirm it worked. Return to your library and look beside the original. Two matching thumbnails mean the duplicate was made.

Edit the copy. Open one of the two, tap Edit, make your changes, and tap Done. The other photo stays as it was. For the editing tools themselves, see how to edit photos on iPhone.

Remove a copy you don’t want. Open it and tap the Delete button. Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days, so you can recover one if you delete the wrong copy. Apple explains this in Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone.

Be careful with Merge. Photos collects matching items under Collections > Utilities > Duplicates (on iOS 16 and 17, Albums > Duplicates). Tapping Merge there combines a matching set into one photo. If you made a duplicate on purpose and haven’t edited it yet, don’t merge that pair. Apple covers the feature in Merge duplicate photos and videos.

Do you need a duplicate at all?

Edits in Photos don’t destroy the original. To undo saved edits on iOS 18 or later, open the photo, tap the More button, and tap Revert to Original (Apple’s revert instructions). So you only need a duplicate when you want both versions at the same time.

• Keep an original and an edited version side by side.
• Crop the same picture two different ways.
• Share a marked-up version without changing your library copy.
• Save a copy as a PDF. See how to save a picture as a PDF on iPhone.

For videos, there is a shortcut. When you trim a video and tap Done, choose Save Video as New Clip to keep both the full video and the trimmed one. Apple notes that a video saved as a new clip can’t be reverted to the original.

Troubleshooting

• No More button. Tap the photo once. Tapping hides and shows the on-screen controls.
• No Duplicate in the More menu. Your iPhone may be on iOS 15 or earlier. Check the Share menu instead, or update in Settings > General > Software Update.
• You’re in the Duplicates collection. That screen is for merging matches Photos found. It has no button for making a new copy. Open the photo from your library instead.
• You can’t see the copy. Scroll your library to the date the original was taken and look right beside it.
• The photo is in the Files app, not Photos. In Files, touch and hold the file and choose Duplicate.

Frequently asked questions

Does a duplicate take up more storage?

Yes. A duplicate is another item in your library, so it uses space on your iPhone and, if you use it, in iCloud Photos. Apple recommends merging duplicates to save space, so delete copies once you no longer need them.

Does duplicating a photo lower its quality?

Apple describes the result as a duplicate copy that preserves the original version. Its guide does not mention any resizing or compression.

Can I duplicate a video or a Live Photo?

Yes for videos; the steps are identical. Live Photos (photos that record a moment of motion and sound) can be duplicated the same way. Your iPhone may ask whether to duplicate it as a Live Photo or as a still photo, although Apple’s guide doesn’t describe that prompt.

Will the duplicate show up on my other Apple devices?

If iCloud Photos is turned on, yes. Apple says changes you make to your photo collection on one device are reflected on your other devices.

How many times can I duplicate the same photo?

Apple doesn’t state a limit. Repeat the steps for each extra copy you want, and keep an eye on storage.

More photo how-tos

Now that you have a spare copy, a good next step is to edit it or send it somewhere.

• Send a photo by email
• Transfer iPhone photos to a PC
• Remove the Portrait effect from an iPhone photo
• Hide photos on iPhone