iOS 18 introduced a controversial new design to the Photos app. Now, thankfully, iOS 26 aims to make the app less cluttered and also adds the ability for iPhone users to convert 2D images into Spatial Photos.
The change of this key app with iOS 18 made many iPhone users unhappy (understandably). Now, iOS 26's version of the Photos app has to try hard enough to please people. The updates this time around are fewer than what one might expect, but still, there is an improvement.
iOS 18 entirely changed the layout of the Photos app. There were no longer multiple tabs of content, and iPhone users were greeted with a single-page design. The Library became a grid in the top half of the screen, and carousels of featured sections were positioned below.
Obviously, tabs would make it easier to go to a specific section, but iOS 18 doomed iPhone users to scroll and try to find themselves in the clutter.
Now, with iOS 26, Apple introduces tabs back, backtracking a little bit from the changes made in iOS 18. The new Photos app now has two tabs, Library and Collections, with the former being the grid view of all your images.
There are tabs! | Image Credit - AppleInsider
When you swipe down, the tab element is hidden, and you get the option to sort by date. You have a button to revert to the main tab as well.
The Collections tab features carousels of images and videos. It includes a section for Albums, as well as Media Types and Utilities. At the top are Memories, which are the generated slideshows Apple seems to like quite a lot. Also, you get a section to generate with Apple Intelligence using text.
Are you pleased that tabs are back in iOS 26's Photos app?
Yes, absolutely!
63.64%
It's not enough to fix the app for me.
18.18%
I like iOS 18's Photos design more, so no.
18.18%
Other (in the comments)
0%
The search icon is now at the bottom right and has become larger.
The changes are not immense, basically, they just separate the Library grid from everything else, but this small tweak is actually making the Photos app much easier to navigate!
Personally, I was one of the people who got quite frustrated with iOS 18's Photos app. I still find it frustrating despite using it for quite some time, and I couldn't be more happy to see Apple bring back some order into the chaos.
Meanwhile, there's a big update to the Photos app in the face of the Spatial Photos generation feature. Now, the iPhone can convert a 2D image to a 3D version from a small icon in the top-right corner of the Photos app.
This feature can be used for Vision Pro, but is also used in the new Spatial Wallpapers feature that Apple showed during the WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9.
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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