These days, there has been tremendous competition among the cloud storage platforms. Cloud services try to attract new users by providing an ever-increasing amount of storage for free. However, at some point in time, your cloud account gets stacked with stuff that you don’t need, and you’re left with a little chunk of storage to save the files that are important. If you’re looking for a Dropbox duplicate photos finder, look no further and continue reading this tutorial.
Due to unavailability of Dropbox duplicate finding mechanism in its Android app, some third-party alternatives might come to your aid. Cloud Duplicate Finder is one such popular alternative.
CDF is a Web-based duplicate finder for Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box and Amazon S3. Using a single account on the CDF Web app, you can find and remove duplicate photos from all these platforms.
CDF Features:
No software required to be downloaded. You can access the CDF website straight from your browser.
No photos needed to be downloaded. The scan is performed over-the-cloud without consuming your Internet bandwidth or unnecessary download time.
CDF supports scanning photos using two methods. You can run a general-purpose CDF scan to find photos that are 100% identical in nature. Or you can run a scan using the in-house Similar Photo Finder functionality to find photos that are visually-similar in nature. However, the Similar Photo Finder feature is currently limited to fewer cloud accounts. Dropbox is not supported at this moment.
Your Dropbox account is connected to the CDF Web app using the official APIs. This is the only safest and official way to connect a third-party (here, CDF app) to your cloud account. This way, you can revoke access permission to the CDF Web app wherever you want for the peace of your mind. (To do so, just use the Sign-out option at the top right corner of the CDF Web app).
CDF supports scanning multiple cloud storage platforms including Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon S3, Box, etc. The multi-cloud storage compatibility lets you free-up a large chunk of storage from different cloud accounts and keep your cloud accounts organized at all times.
Cons:
Similar Photo Finder feature is currently not available for Dropbox.
While using the Similar Photo Finder, it is advised to review your duplicate scan results carefully before taking any action to avoid potential data loss.
Step 1: Create a New CDF Account
Visit the Cloud Duplicate Finder website.
Create a new account. The account creation process is free.
You’ll receive a verification link on the registered email address. Click that link and then set up a password for your account.
Step 2: Add your Dropbox Account
Click on the Dropbox icon on the top.
Click on Add New Drive.
Sign-in to your Dropbox account in the new window.
You’ll be prompted to provide the file access permissions. Click on Allow or Yes.
Is your Dropbox account protected with the 2-Factor Authentication security feature? If so, you’ld be asked to confirm your identity by entering the OTP from your registered mobile number, email account or 2-FA authentication app.
Step 3: Start a Duplicate Photo Scan & Delete Duplicates
Once your Dropbox account is added, the top-level folders list will be displayed on the left panel.
Check the folder(s) you want to scan for duplicate photos, and keep the rest ohers unchecked.
Click on Start Scan.
Once the scan is finished, you’ll be able to select all dupes by different criteria. For example: Retain the newest file in each group, Retain the oldest file in each group, etc.
Finally, click on Select Action and choose Permanent Delete to get rid of your dupes permanently. Or use the Move to Folder option to move them to a separate folder of your choice.
Method 2: Using Duplicate Files Fixer & Remover
Duplicate Files Fixer & Remover is an Android app that lets you automatically remove duplicate files from the Dropbox app. The app can be downloaded from the Android PlayStore to instantly get rid of 100s of duplicate photos in your Dropbox account.
Features:
Supports scanning exact matching photos as well as similar matching photos.
In addition to the Dropbox, you can also find duplicate photos stored on your Android device and SD memory card
You can find duplicate files regardless of their file names and formats
Cons:
The app contains in-app advertisements
Some users reported the app failed to report a large chunk of duplicate photos