Following numerous complaints about the Photos app redesign in iOS 18, Apple is making adjustments in its latest release, now called iOS 26.
This change was briefly announced during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25) on Monday, where the company confirmed the return of a tabbed interface. However, the new design will differ from its previous version.
“Many of you missed using tabs in the Photos app,” stated Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, signaling a rare acknowledgment of the backlash against last year’s overhaul. He explained that the updated app will feature separate tabs for Library and Collections.
In the Collections tab, users can find favorites, albums, and search across their library. The Library tab allows for easier scrolling through recent photos, a user interface that many users prefer.
The changes introduced in iOS 18 centralized photo organization on a single page, which led to significant criticism. Some developers even launched third-party photo apps that aimed to restore the old interface for a fee.
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Additionally, the iOS 26 update enables the Photos app to convert 2D images into 3D spatial photos, a feature inspired by Apple’s Vision Pro spatial computing headset and accessible on the iPhone’s updated Lock Screen.
Relatedly, the Camera app on iPhone and iPad has also been updated for easier navigation. The two most-used capture modes—photo and video—are now displayed prominently on the main screen. Users can swipe left or right to access additional modes like Portrait and Cinematic. Settings such as flash, timer, and aperture can now be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
Users can also quickly switch formats with a tap, making it easier to toggle between HD and 4K resolution or adjust video frame rates.
