A reproducible, read-only example showing renamed exact matches, one-sided photos and same-path version conflicts across two folders.
DUPESPACE identifies renamed photos by complete content instead of copying them again. A matching relative path with different bytes remains a separate conflict for a person to resolve.
Create Phone Import and Current Library folders.
Place the same JPEG on both sides as IMG_1842.JPG and Kyoto Station.jpg.
Create Pictures/album-cover.jpg on both sides with different content.
Add one photo that exists only on each side, then run the folder comparison.
Phone Import/DCIM/IMG_1842.JPGCurrent Library/2024/Kyoto Station.jpgComplete content matches even though both the name and location differ.
Next: The library already has the content, so it need not be copied again. This does not make the import-side copy automatically disposable.Phone Import/Pictures/album-cover.jpgCurrent Library/Pictures/album-cover.jpgThe relative path matches while the complete bytes differ.
Next: Open or rename both versions and resolve the purpose manually before merging.Phone Import/DCIM/IMG_1843.JPGThe current library contains neither the same bytes nor the same relative path.
Next: This may be a file to add, not a duplicate copy.Current Library/2023/family.jpgThe phone import does not contain this content.
Next: Do not overwrite it from the import. Use a separate reverse comparison if you are updating the backup.A filename is not a file identity. A name-only check misses IMG_1842.JPG and Kyoto Station.jpg, while a path-only merge could treat two different album-cover files as one version.
DUPESPACE narrows candidates by exact size, uses samples only to eliminate obvious mismatches, then reads all bytes of remaining candidates. A sample never decides equality on its own.
The phone import may be the only source not yet backed up, and the library may be synchronized. Matching bytes describe this comparison; they do not prove either location has lost its purpose.
The browser remains read-only. It can prevent an unnecessary second copy and reveal conflicts early without accepting the risk of automatic merge or deletion.
Use disposable images. Keep one file unchanged but rename it, then re-export another image so the preview looks similar while the bytes differ. Verify the four result classes and exported CSV.
Do not use your only family photographs or a live synchronized library for the first test. Stop if the result differs from what you expect.
Yes, when the complete content matches. Names and paths provide context but do not decide equality.
Usually not. Recompression, cropping or metadata edits change the bytes and should remain a separate version.
No. It is a redacted schema example without access to your device and is not a cleanup instruction.