Guide to the New iOS 18 Photos App: 7 Features to Organize Your Memories

Written By Megan Krauklis

The release of iOS 18 brought an all-new design to the Photos App, aiming to streamline photo browsing, make memories more accessible, and provide a more personalized experience for users managing large photo libraries. Let's dive into how this update can help you organize your memories without the tech headache.

1. All-in-One View: Your New Photo Home

Gone are the days of juggling between different tabs. The new Photos app features a single, scrollable view that's divided into sections called Collections.

Quick Tip: At the top, you'll see the photo library grid with around 30 images. To see your full photo library, simply pull down on the top section.

2. Customize Your View

The best part? You can make the Photos app work for you by customizing what you see and the order of the sections.

How to Customize:

  1. Scroll to the bottom and tap "Customize & Reorder"

  2. Drag to reorder or tap the minus sign to hide things you don't want to see

Pro Tip: Consider moving Albums to the top under your library, followed by Pinned Collections for easy access.

Where Did Everything Go? Your library totals and iCloud status that used to be at the bottom of the app are now located in your Account. Find them by tapping your photo circle in the top right.

Search is no longer a tab at the bottom is now a blue circle at the top of the screen.

3. Goodbye, Screenshots

Tired of seeing screenshots mixed with your precious memories? The new app lets you hide them with just a few taps.

Here's how:

  1. Pull down to view the full photo grid

  2. Tap the arrows in the bottom-left corner

  3. Tap "View Options"

  4. Uncheck "Screenshots"

Pro Tip: If you decide to hide your screenshots in your main photo library, add them as a Pinned Collection so you can easily find and reference them.

4. Organize Albums Into Folders

Finally, you can organize your albums into folders right on your phone! This feature is a lifesaver for keeping track of all those events, gatherings, and activities.

How to Use:

  1. Tap "Create" in the top left to make a new folder

  2. Long press on any album and drag it into a folder

Folder Ideas:

  • School Years: "Kindergarten", "1st Grade", "2nd Grade"

  • Activities: "Soccer", "Baseball", "Dance"

  • Holidays: "Christmas", "Halloween", "Easter", "Birthdays"

5. Smart Collections: Your Personal Photo Assistant

The new app focuses on Collections, which are basically albums that use AI to group photos automatically based on subject, location, type, and other parameters.

Key Collections:

  • Recent Days: A chronological view of latest photos that filters out screenshot clutter. If you liked the Days tab from the former iOS design, you'll enjoy this collection!

  • Trips: Travel photos are identified based on location and then shown by year. If you don't have time to make a travel album, Apple now does it for you!

  • People & Pets: Now includes groups of peopls.

6. Pinned Collections: Quick Access to Your Favorites

Pinned Collections lets you pin your favorite collections for easy access. You can add anything you want to this section, including albums, media types, other collections, and Utilities.

Quick Tip: Tap 'Modify' in the Pinned Collections and consider what items you want fast access to. Add your Favorites, Screenshots, and frequently used Albums to your Pinned Collection.

7. Utilities to Declutter: Smart Filters at Your Fingertips

New Utilities offers smart filters to group items so you can easily clear the clutter from your library. These sections won't show up unless you have them in your library.

Utility Categories:

  • Receipts

  • Handwriting

  • Illustrations

  • QR Codes

  • Documents

  • Duplicates (detects duplicate images and lets you merge them)

Wrap-Up: Embracing the Change

The new iOS 18 Photos app is completely different and may be hard to navigate at first. But don't worry! Start small, explore each new feature, and keep customizing it. Before you know it, you'll love the new organization and ease of use.

Your New Photo Organization Routine:

  1. Customize your view

  2. Hide screenshots and unwanted clutter

  3. Set up your Pinned Collections

  4. Organize albums into folders

  5. Explore and use Smart Collections and Utilities

Spend just a few minutes a week on this routine, and you'll be amazed at how organized your photo library becomes!

Want more tips on decluttering your digital life? Check out my free guide: "5 Steps to Declutter Your Camera Roll" for even more tricks to tame the photo chaos!

Megan Krauklis
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