After quite a lot of complaints in regards to the Images app redesign in iOS 18, Apple is tweaking the feel and appear of the app in its new OS launch, now branded as iOS 26.
The change was briefly talked about Monday through the keynote at Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC 25); Apple famous it was bringing again a tabbed interface to Images, although it received’t look the identical as earlier than.
“Lots of you missed utilizing tabs within the Images app,” stated Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice chairman of Software program Engineering — which is as shut as Apple will ever get to admitting it made a mistake with the app’s overhaul final 12 months. “Images now options separate tabs for Library and for Collections,” he added, whereas demoing the replace.
In Collections, you’ll discover your favorites, your albums, and you’ll search throughout your library.

In the meantime, the Library tab makes it simpler to scroll by means of current photographs — a person interface many individuals clearly favor.
The adjustments to Images in iOS 18 led to some backlash, because it centralized each approach you could possibly work together with and manage your photographs on a single web page. Some builders even capitalized on the backlash, providing third-party picture apps that promised to carry again the previous person interface for a charge.
Additionally within the iOS 26 replace, the Images app is ready to remodel your 2D photographs into 3D spatial photographs. This function will be discovered on the iPhone’s up to date Lock Display screen and is impressed by Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional spatial computing headset.
Associated to Images, the iPhone and iPad’s Digital camera app was up to date to make it simpler to search out its many options. The app now showcases the 2 seize modes you utilize most on the principle display screen: picture and video. To disclose extra modes, you may swipe your finger left or proper. Right here, you may swap to issues like Portrait Mode, Cinematic Mode, and others. To entry different settings — just like the flash, timer, aperture, and extra — you’ll now swipe up from the underside of the display screen.
You may as well change codecs with a faucet, which is useful for switching between HD and 4K decision or adjusting the body fee on video.