Summary of new updates for the Photos app since iOS 18

As part of iOS 18, Apple announced the biggest redesign ever for the Photos app. With a single-pane interface, the new Photos app highlights collections and curations while remaining fully customizable to your liking.

However, the Photos app's rollout has been met with mixed reviews. Apple has made some tweaks in subsequent iOS 18 updates to address some of the most common complaints. It has also added some notable new features.

iOS 18 beta

When it was first unveiled at WWDC in June, the new Photos app design featured an ambitious Carousel interface. This view allowed users to swipe left and right to see highlights that updated each day and featured favorite people, pets, places, and more.

However, Apple completely abandoned this Carousel view when it released iOS 18 beta 5 in August. This was Apple's most significant structural change to the Photos app redesign.

iOS 18.1

iOS 18.1 is the first major update to iOS 18. This update focuses primarily on implementing Apple Intelligence features, including changes to the Photos app.

1. Search in the Photos app lets you find photos and videos simply by describing what you're looking for.
2. Clean Up removes distracting elements in photos
3. You can create a memory movie by describing the story you want to see.

iOS 18.1 also includes a fix for the Photos app:

1. Fixed an issue where videos recorded in 4K 60 while on a warm device could stutter when deleting videos playing in Photos

iOS 18.2

While iOS 18.1 focused on upgrading the Photos app with Apple Intelligence, Apple used iOS 18.2 to refine the new design with some key changes.

1. Improvements to video playback, including the ability to delete individual frames and a setting to disable auto-repeat video playback
2. Improvements when navigating the Collections view, including the ability to swipe right to return to the previous view
3. Can delete Recently Viewed and Recently Shared album history
4. Favorites album appears in the Widgets collection in addition to Pinned Collections

The ability to swipe back is one of the most useful navigation changes introduced to the Photos app since iOS 18. It makes navigation significantly quicker and easier.

Many users are very fond of the new Photos app design. While such a dramatic redesign of one of the most used iPhone apps can be frustrating, Apple has struck a good balance between customization and control.

The number one tip for those frustrated with the new Photos app is to take advantage of the customization options.

1. Open the Photos app
2. Scroll all the way down and tap on ' Customize & Rearrange '
3. Select a specific order of multiple options and hide those options

The new Photos app also includes one of Apple's most useful intelligence features: Clean Up. Clean Up is a powerful and easy way to remove distracting elements from your photos, whether it's an object or a person that's ruining your shot.

What do you think of the new Photos app design introduced in iOS 18? Has Apple addressed your concerns in future software updates? What else do you hope will be fixed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Isabella Humphrey

Update 22 December 2024