Explore All the New Photo Features in iOS 18 for Your iPhone
Explore the latest features of the Photos app on your iPhone with iOS 18.
A New Era in Photo Management
iPhone users witnessed a major overhaul with the launch of iOS 18 in September. Apple’s built-in Photos app has been dramatically transformed, shifting from multiple tabs to a unified interface, significantly reducing cognitive friction. This occurs when an app introduces too many new features or a complex design, making it challenging for users to navigate. The constant switching between the main library, various albums, and search tools is now a thing of the past.
A Redesigned Interface for Simplified Use
According to Apple, the rationale behind these changes is to simplify photo searches and help users rediscover images they may have forgotten. Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, emphasized at WWDC 2024 that this redesign would enable users to “access the right content.” With iOS 18 now available for all compatible iPhones, it’s time to dive into the new Photos app and explore its changes. The upcoming iOS 18.1 update in October will also introduce new features, thanks to Apple Intelligence.
The iOS 18 Photo Library
The iOS 18 Photos app is split into two sections on a single screen. Your photo library – previously the main view in the iOS 17 version of Photos – is now positioned above a group named “Collections.”
To delve into your library, simply swipe down. This exposes a grid of all library photos, but a toolbar at the bottom of the screen also allows viewing photos by year and month. Apple has also incorporated buttons to further filter your photo library. When browsing your library, filters are available to display photos from specific years and months. Another button on the far left of the screen lets you filter the library content to show favorites, edited photos, videos, and screenshots, among others.
Collections
Apple designed the “Collections” area of the iOS 18 Photos app to assist in locating specific photos or rediscovering old favorites from your albums. It does so by organizing photos both by date and by theme.
At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find various photo albums you’ve created over the years. There are also sections for media types that help you find specific types of images (Videos, Selfies, Portraits, etc.) and utilities, where you’ll find hidden photos and recently deleted images.
iOS 18 Photos and Apple Intelligence
Apple continues to introduce changes in the Photos app. If you’ve downloaded the iOS 18.1 beta, you’re aware that the first iteration of Apple Intelligence introduces new capabilities, though only if you have an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model introduced this fall (currently not available in Europe).
The most significant change brought by Apple Intelligence in Photos is a new Clean Up tool, which is Apple’s version of the Magic Eraser feature included in the latest Google Pixel phones. Like Magic Eraser, Clean Up allows you to erase unwanted people or objects with just a tap.
The updates to Photos in iOS 18, especially the Apple Intelligence features, offer significant benefits to users eager to better manage and explore their photo library. Whether you have a newer or older device, these innovations are sure to impress.