How to Navigate the Photos App on Your iPhone & iPad

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

Apple has changed the Photos app in a big way with iOS 18. The familiar tabs at the bottom of the screen are gone, and photos are now organized in the usual library format, with collections below organized by Recent Days, People & Pets, Pinned Collections, Memories, and more. We'll show you the easiest way to navigate the iOS 18 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 18 Photos app on your iPhone:

1. Open the Photos app.
2. You'll see your camera roll on the top half of the screen.
3. Swipe from the right side of your screen to the left across the camera roll to see Featured Photos. If you keep swiping, you might also see Featured Photos, videos, and Memory Mixes your phone has compiled for you.
4. Swipe from the left side of the screen to the right across the camera roll and tap Customize to view and customize the current Photos app layout.
5. Below your camera roll, you'll find Recent Days, People & Pets, and Pinned Collections.
6. Keep scrolling to find Memories, Trips, Albums, Shared Albums, Featured Photos, Media Types, Utilities, Wallpaper Suggestions, and another option to Customize.
7. Tap the Search icon (magnifying glass icon at the top-right of your screen) to search your camera roll by name, location, caption, or even just a date, or a combination of search terms.
8. Tap Done in the upper-right corner of the screen when you're finished searching your photos.

And that's how you navigate the new Photos app in iOS 18!