Apple’s Pictures app acquired a main overhaul final 12 months, and iOS 26 brings a handful of recent adjustments. Right here’s every part new coming to the Pictures app in iOS 26.
New Liquid Glass design
One of many greatest adjustments impacting all Apple apps this 12 months is iOS 26’s new ‘Liquid Glass’ design.
Within the Pictures app particularly, you’ll see Liquid Glass UI components all over the place from the buttons and navigation tabs to popup menus and extra.
Since your pictures and movies stay the visible focus of the app, Pictures’ use of Liquid Glass isn’t as intensive as another apps—but it surely’s nonetheless a pleasant refresh that’s onerous to overlook.
Tab bar navigation returns
Final 12 months when Apple overhauled the Pictures app in iOS 18, the one greatest change concerned navigation. Gone was the tried-and-true tab bar. As a substitute, Apple went with a single-screen UI.
After dealing with loads of sad suggestions from customers, Apple has introduced tab bar navigation again to Pictures in iOS 26.
It’s not a full reversal to the precise setup pre-iOS 18, however Pictures navigation now could be a lot nearer to what it was earlier than with three tabs:
- Library
- Collections
- Search
Library works equally to older variations of the app, whereas Collections pulls collectively the entire new, customizable sections launched in iOS 18.
Spatialize pictures
One of many standout options of visionOS 2 final 12 months was the flexibility to “spatialize” your pictures.
Now, iOS 26 brings that functionality to the iPhone through the Pictures app.
When viewing a photograph, there’s a brand new button within the top-right nook that allows you to view a ‘Spatial Scene’ model of the picture. Primarily, it provides your photograph depth so you possibly can pan round to see totally different dimensions.
It’s a enjoyable trick contained in the Pictures app, however the place this function shines most is in utilizing Spatial Scenes as your Lock Display wallpaper.
New customization settings
Inside the brand new Collections tab, Apple is giving customers much more customization choices than earlier than.
You possibly can already totally customise and reorder which sections seem in your Pictures app, however iOS 26 provides:
- New view settings in your collections
- The choice to break down and develop particular person collections
For the previous, tapping the three dots on the prime of the Collections tab gives three view choices.
You can also make all collections uniform in dimension, both all small or all giant, or you possibly can persist with the default which makes sure collections extra visually distinguished than others.
The power to break down sure sections quickly ought to make your Collections view simpler to navigate too.
Pictures in iOS 26: wrap-up
This 12 months’s Pictures replace exhibits Apple pushing the app ahead whereas additionally utilizing iOS 26 to carry again some familiarity customers misplaced in iOS 18. It isn’t as feature-packed as final 12 months, however after the shock of that main overhaul, a 12 months of stability is likely to be what Pictures customers need most.
What do you consider iOS 26’s Pictures adjustments? Tell us within the feedback.
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