WWDC 2025: Apple's iOS 26 brings much-needed updates to Photos, Camera apps
Apple is trying to fix the problem it created with the iOS Photos app interface. Let's just say Photos leaves something to be desired, at present.
At its annual WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple revealed updated looks for both the Camera and Photos apps that will come with iOS 26 later this year. Like everything else on iOS 26, these updates bring the apps' aesthetics more in line with the new "liquid glass" concept Apple also introduced at WWDC. That basically means some UI elements are translucent now.
The new camera app seems like it functions much like it does now, but it does look sleeker. You have two options on the bottom of the display now, photo and video, but sliding your finger left or right will give you other options, like panorama shots or portrait mode. Changing resolution can be done with a tap near the top of the display, but it looks much faster than the way it works at the time of writing.
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Perhaps the bigger change is to the Photos app, which has famously been a disaster since it was changed last year. It looks to have been cleaned up significantly, with two tabs on the bottom: library and collections. I presume your library is just everything in your phone, while collections will feature any folders you've made. In function, it's not that different from the current Photos app, but it does look much easier to navigate.
Hopefully, Apple doesn't break it again next year.
The WWDC keynote also teased a new 3D photos feature, which creates a holographic-type effect with your photos. We're eager to see that one in person.
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.
