The internet doesn’t like the new iOS 18 Photos app redesign — how to fix it

Apple changed the Photos app and, of course, people don't love it.
 By 
Alex Perry
 on 
iOS 18 Photos app with colorful background
Many aren't fans of the new iOS 18 Photos app redesign. Credit: Apple / Alassar / Shutterstock.com

Confused by the new iOS 18 Photos app? You're not the only one.

Apple updated the default Photos app with iOS 18 earlier this fall and some folks on the internet are unhappy about it. TikTok influencer Alix Earle, for example, got hundreds of thousands of likes on a quick video denouncing the update. Put simply, Apple reorganized the Photos app, introduced several new features, and, unsurprisingly, it’s causing frustration among users.

The good news is that you can fix it — for the most part.


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How to fix iOS 18 Photos app

There's good news and bad news here.

iOS 18 Photos app Customize and Reorder menu
Easy! Credit: Screenshot: Apple

The bad news is that the only way to keep the old Photos app is to avoid updating your phone, but this also means missing out on the important security benefits that come with regular updates.

The good news is that you can at least de-clutter the new Photos app a bit. Here's how.

  1. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the app and hit "Customize & Reorder"

  2. Toggle on or off the various tabs as you see fit. You can also drag them up and down to reorder where they appear in the app

  3. Hit the X button in the upper right corner

Again, the Photos app will look the way it looks no matter how much reordering you do. The old design is gone. However, you still have the option to hide the algorithmically generated content you’d rather not see.

Topics Apple iOS

journalist alex perry looking at a smartphone
Alex Perry
Tech Reporter

Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.

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