Background of the issue:
I'm reaching out regarding a serious issue with WPML that’s making my site very difficult to manage. WPML repeatedly duplicates images in the Media Library, creating unnecessary and excessive copies. I’m seeing up to seven copies of the same image, and this problem has only intensified with the addition of a second language. I cannot continue translating my site if it means it will become cluttered like this.
Attempts to delete these duplicates only break existing galleries, making it almost impossible to identify which images are used where. Additionally, even after removing duplicates, rebuilding galleries from scratch is required.
Despite multiple attempts, I also cannot disable the media duplication option in WPML settings – the changes simply won’t save.
Please let me know if you can help me disable this feature, as it’s causing extensive problems with site management and gallery organization. If no solution is possible, I’ll have to consider changing plugins, and I will provide feedback on this issue, as it significantly impacts usability.
Symptoms:
WPML duplicates images in the Media Library, creating up to seven copies of the same image. Attempts to delete duplicates break existing galleries, and I cannot disable the media duplication option in WPML settings.
Questions:
How can I disable the media duplication feature in WPML?
Is there a way to prevent WPML from duplicating images when adding a second language?