Duplicate files can accumulate quickly on Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Multiple downloads, exported documents, copied photos, or repeated backups often leave identical files scattered across different folders. Over time, these duplicates can take up a surprising amount of storage space.
Zero Duplicates is a duplicate file finder designed for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS that helps users locate and remove duplicate files. Instead of relying only on file names, the app compares the actual file content. This allows it to detect duplicates even if files have different names or are stored in different folders.
The app is free to download from the App Store. Users can run unlimited scans and delete up to 500 MB of duplicate files for free. After reaching that limit, a paid upgrade is required to remove additional duplicates. This allows users to test the app before deciding whether they want to purchase it.
Adding folders and starting a scan
When launching the app for the first time, users are presented with an empty workspace. Folders can be added using the “Add Folder” button or by simply dragging and dropping them into the window.
After adding a folder, a dialog appears showing the selected directory. Expanding the folder structure allows individual subfolders to be excluded from the scan if desired. This can be useful for skipping folders such as backup archives or temporary files.
Once the desired folders have been added, clicking “Find Duplicates” starts the scan. Multiple folders can be scanned at the same time, making it possible to compare files across different directories or drives.
Reviewing duplicate results
After the scan completes, Zero Duplicates displays a results list showing groups of files with identical content. Each group can be inspected individually, and a built-in preview allows users to review files before deciding which copies to remove.
To simplify cleanup, the app includes an Auto Select feature. One option allows users to automatically select duplicates located inside a specific folder or subfolder. This can be helpful when cleaning up duplicates spread across multiple locations while keeping a preferred copy in a particular directory.
Alternatively, duplicates can be selected automatically based on file dates. In this case the app can keep either the oldest or newest file while selecting the remaining copies for deletion.
When Apply is clicked, the selected files are not immediately deleted. Instead, they are only marked for removal so the user can review the selection before proceeding.
Safe deletion options
Zero Duplicates includes a Safe Selection mechanism to reduce the risk of accidental data loss. In each duplicate group, at least one file is always preserved. For example, if five identical files are detected, only four can be selected for deletion.
Once the selection has been reviewed, clicking Delete Selection opens the deletion options. On drives that support it, users can choose between Move to Trash or Permanently Delete.
If files are moved to the Trash, they can still be restored later if needed. Because macOS does not provide a built-in way to track the original location of deleted files, Zero Duplicates records where files were removed from to make restoration easier.
Additional scanning options
Zero Duplicates also provides several settings that allow users to adjust how scans are performed.
On macOS, the option “Also include package contents” is disabled by default. This prevents the app from scanning inside macOS application bundles or other package structures. The Mac version can also ignore specific file name patterns, which can help exclude temporary or automatically generated files.
Across all platforms, users can also define a maximum file size that should be included in scans.
macOS, iPhone, and iPad support
The screenshots above were taken from the macOS version of the app. The iOS and iPadOS versions follow a similar workflow, though a few features currently differ between platforms.
For example, excluding individual subfolders from scans is currently available only on macOS. On iPhone and iPad, automatic selection currently supports date-based selection. In addition, files on iOS and iPadOS can only be permanently deleted because these systems do not provide a traditional trash system.
All file analysis happens locally on the device. No file content is uploaded to external servers.
Zero Duplicates is available on the Mac App Store as well as the iPhone and iPad App Store. More information can be found at https://zeroduplicates.com.
