iOS 18 Photos App Redesign: Two Months Later, Users Still Divided

When Apple released iOS 18 in September, it introduced an overhauled Photos app, dropping on users the biggest change to photo management on iPhone since the app's introduction. MacRumors forums users have been particularly vocal about the redesign – some have praised the AI features, but others have called for a return to the simpler interface of iOS 17.

ios 18 photos app
The company has made much of Apple Intelligence, so it's no wonder that at the center of Apple's overhaul is an attempt to leverage AI and machine learning to simplify photo organization while introducing a more modern aesthetic. The major changes include a unified scrollable interface that replaces the traditional tab system, smart collections that automatically group photos by occasions like "Recent Days" and "Trips," and significantly enhanced search capabilities that understand natural language queries.

Photos Redesign Draws Common Criticisms

These changes are supposed to accurately represent Apple's vision for a more intelligent photo management system, but reception remains decidedly mixed. Many users have found the transition jarring, with several recurring complaints emerging across social media and Apple community feedback:

  • A cluttered interface that makes finding specific photos difficult
  • Confusion from redundant auto-generated albums and collections
  • Photos and videos no longer defaulting to full-screen viewing mode
  • Removal of traditional navigation tabs like "Library" and "Albums"
  • Overemphasis on AI features at the expense of simple organization

In response to both pre- and post-release feedback, Apple has implemented several updates through iOS 18 betas and point releases. For example, the company removed the controversial Carousel feature that displayed daily highlights, reintroduced the familiar pinch-to-zoom navigational gesture, and will soon improve the video player interface by removing the borders during playback. But is it enough?

ipados 18 photos app

The Photos app represents one of the most significant overhauls to a core iOS app in recent years. Some argue it was a step in the right direction, but others see it as a regressive move prompted by Apple's rivals offering more and more AI-oriented photography features. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the Photos app redesign. Barring a complete reversion back to the original interface, what features would you like to see Apple add or remove in future updates?

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Top Rated Comments

Ameer_1 Avatar
16 weeks ago
I hate it
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alwaysfindsaway Avatar
16 weeks ago
Absolutely hate it. They ruined the app! Barely usable any more. The collections of images are so confused, the images just randomly fill the screen or don’t. It’s an embarrassment of an app. Can’t believe this was released. Apple are going downhill lately.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spanky Deluxe Avatar
16 weeks ago
I hate it so much. It’s so unintuitive and hard to use. I can’t believe they pushed this through to a live release.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
davidh2k Avatar
16 weeks ago
My simple response to that discussion:


Attachment Image
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ForkHandles Avatar
16 weeks ago
Go to the bottom

Click customise

Remove the panels you don’t want.

It’s ace.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
page3 Avatar
16 weeks ago
I don’t believe users are divided. The majority hate it. As do I.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)