Knowing how to navigate the Photos app quickly and easily may not be obvious. In this article, we'll go through a couple of how-tos so that you don't have to spend a long time searching for the right photos. Continue reading to learn Photos app shortcuts and how to navigate the Photos app using filters and search.

Why You'll Love This Tip

Learn how to navigate Apple's updated Photos app for the iPhone and iPad.
Easily find your photos by using the Search icon and customizing search terms.

How to Navigate the Photos App on Your iPhone & iPad

System Requirements

This tip was performed on an iPhone 16 Pro Max running iOS 26. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.

Apple changed the Photos app in a big way with iOS 26. We'll show you the easiest way to navigate the iOS 26 Photos app on your iPhone and iPad. For more great Photos app tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day. Here's how to navigate the iOS 26 Photos app on your iPhone:

Open the Photos app.
You'll see two tabs at the bottom of your screen: Library and Collections.
In your Library tab, swipe to scroll through your pictures.
Tap Years, Months, or All to display your photos grouped by timeframes.
Tap the Filter icon to see your filtering options.
Tap Select to select any photos for deleting, sharing, or other mass processing options.
In your Collections tab, you'll see photos grouped into Collections, albums of photos and videos created by your iPhone.
Tap the caret next to a Collection to collapse it.
Tap Edit next to Pinned to change which Collections are pinned in your feed.
Keep scrolling to find Media Types, Utilities, and Wallpaper Suggestions.
Tap Search icon or the magnifying glass icon at the bottom right of your screen to search your photos by name, location, caption, or even just a date, or a combination of search terms.
Tap on your avatar in the top right corner to get information about the content in the app, options regarding Shared Libraries and Shared Albums, plus other Photos app settings.
In order to customize the app layout, swipe up to scroll to the very bottom and tap Reorder.
Here you can select what sections you want showing up, what you want to hide, and you can drag the collections to rearrange them.

Now you know how you navigate the new Photos app! Next, learn how to use the Apple Intelligence Clean Up feature that removes people or things from the background of your photo.