Quick overview: what’s new in iOS 26 Photos

Apple reworked Photos for iOS 26 to make navigation easier and visuals softer. The big changes to know:

• A bottom tab bar returns, with three main tabs: Library, Collections, and Search.
• New “liquid glass” styling — translucent, softly rounded bars and overlays.
• Collections are collapsible and reorderable (but you can no longer hide certain collection types like in iOS 18).

Library: your primary photo timeline

The Library tab is the main timeline for photos and videos. Images display in a grid with the newest photos at the bottom — a layout that feels like a continuous scroll through time.

Helpful Library features:

• The collection bar shrinks into a small icon in the bottom left as you scroll, giving you more screen space for photos. Tap it to switch back to Library or Collections.
• Filters and view options live behind the three-dot menu at the top.
• Use Select for bulk actions (delete, share, add to album).
• Pinch to zoom the grid: pinch out to enlarge thumbnails, pinch in to see more at once.

Collections: collapsible, reorderable, and organized

The Collections tab groups content into helpful sections: Recent Days, People & Pets, Pinned Memories, Trips, Albums, Media Types, and Utilities. The long list can now be collapsed so the view stays tidy.

What you can do in Collections:

• Tap the arrow next to a section to collapse or expand it for a cleaner view.
• Reorder collections using the three-dot menu → Reorder, then drag using the hamburger handles and confirm with the blue check mark.
• Note: unlike earlier iOS versions, you cannot hide a collection type in iOS 26.

Search: smarter and easier to access

Search is now a dedicated tab for faster access. It’s powered by Apple Intelligence, so you get smart suggestions as you type.

Search tips:

• Search by names, places, objects, or descriptive phrases (for example: “dogs in a park”).
• Tap suggestions that appear as you type to jump straight to matching photos.
• Tap the X to clear a search and return to Collections.

Event recognition: ticket icon for concerts and shows

Photos can now recognize events like concerts or venue-related shots. When an image is associated with an event, a small ticket icon appears — tap it to see details such as artist, date, and related material.

Spatial Scenes: subtle 3D depth for eligible photos

One of iOS 26’s most eye-catching additions is Spatial Scenes. When a photo is eligible, a hexagon icon appears in the top right of the photo. Tap it to enable the spatial effect.

How Spatial Scenes work:

• After enabling the effect, move or tilt your iPhone slightly. The background shifts while the subject stays in place, creating a natural depth effect.
• You can set a Spatial Scene image as a dynamic Lock Screen wallpaper for a lively look.

“Give it a try, it’s pretty cool.”

Albums, Utilities, and cleanup tips

Organizing and cleaning your library is easier with the updated Albums and Utilities sections.

• Create a new album: Collections → Albums → tap the + sign → New Album → name it and add photos.
• To remove a photo from an album without deleting it from your device: long-press the photo → Remove from Album. (Tapping Delete will remove the photo from your device entirely.)
• Utilities → Duplicates helps you find repeated photos so you can review and merge them, keeping the best version.

People & Pets: name, merge, and manage faces

The People & Pets section groups faces automatically. Naming people improves recognition over time and lets you quickly find photos of family and friends.

Face management actions:

• Long-press a face to see options: Don’t Feature, Favorite, Edit Name & Photos, and more.
• Merge similar persons and remove incorrect tags if the app misidentifies someone.
• Start naming people in your photos — the recognition will improve as you add more labeled images.

Quick tips and best practices

• Use pinch zoom to switch between overview and detail in your Library quickly.
• Reorder collections to surface the sections you use most.
• Enable Spatial Scenes on eligible photos for subtle motion on the Lock Screen — great for portraits and subject-focused shots.
• Regularly check Utilities → Duplicates to keep your library lean and tidy.
• Name people early — it pays off as Photos learns and finds images much faster.

Wrapping up

Photos in iOS 26 brings a cleaner navigation experience with the return of the tab bar, smarter search, and fun new features like Spatial Scenes. Spend a few minutes exploring Library, Collections, and Search — and enable Spatial Scenes on a few images to see the depth effect for yourself.

Thanks for reading — go explore your updated Photos app and make the most of these tweaks and new features.

Like Video instead? Head to my YouTube channel for more great tips.