iOS 18: Why Apple's new Photos app is so controversial
Apple has made major changes to its popular Photos app on the iPhone. Thanks to AI, everything should be better. But not all users see it that way.
(Image: Apple)
Apple's redesign of the Photos app in iOS 18 has caused controversy for developers and normal users in the beta versions. The new "unified design" is sometimes perceived as confusing, as are the new functions for sorting, filtering and using so-called collections, some of which use artificial intelligence. In addition, users are sometimes confused by the different ways to reach their destination. However, Apple is now backtracking, meaning that some of the new features will probably not make it into the final version of the app.
What Apple is probably not doing
As Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reported in his newsletter at the weekend, a "course correction" is pending, which also applies to iPadOS 18. The new "carousel" interface will be pushed back; it has already been deleted in the latest beta. Instead, albums are higher up again, saved content can be found more quickly and the app seems to rely less on complex filters overall.
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Nevertheless, it makes sense to take a closer look at the settings. You can sort and arrange where the individual sections - such as pictures from previous days, "Pinned Collections" or people and animals - end up in the interface. What you don't want can also be hidden. However, the entire navigation via the aforementioned "Unified Design" remains the same: There are no longer individual tabs for individual areas. This in particular is likely to cause frustration at first, as you have to scroll more - at least it feels that way.
Better sorting in photos - and a new search function
New sorting options have been retained, which are very useful. The new "Utilities Collections" include handwritten documents, invoices, illustrations, QR codes, documents, duplicates, imports, recently edited photos and more.
Apple has also optimized the search function. You can now formulate queries in natural language and find combinations such as "dog outside". Apple Intelligence also provides a new "Memory Maker" to generate your own reviews (i.e. "Memories"), which you can also customize. However, Apple Intelligence is not initially active within the EU.
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