Apple’s Photos application underwent a significant transformation last year, and iOS 26 introduces several new updates. Here’s a rundown of all the new features arriving in the Photos app with iOS 26.
## New Liquid Glass Design
One of the most significant modifications affecting all Apple applications this year is the ‘Liquid Glass’ design in iOS 26. Specifically within the Photos app, you will encounter Liquid Glass UI elements throughout, including the buttons, navigation tabs, popup menus, and more. While your photos and videos continue to be the main visual focus of the app, the implementation of Liquid Glass in Photos isn’t as extensive as in some other applications—but it’s still a refreshing change that’s hard to overlook.
## Tab Bar Navigation Returns
The previous year, when Apple revamped the Photos app in iOS 18, the most notable alteration was in navigation. The beloved tab bar was removed, replaced by a single-screen UI. After receiving a lot of discontent from users, Apple has reinstated tab bar navigation in Photos for iOS 26. Although it’s not a complete return to the exact layout prior to iOS 18, the navigation in Photos is now much more reminiscent of its earlier form, featuring three tabs:
– Library
– Collections
– Search
The Library functions similarly to previous iterations of the app, while Collections brings together all the new, customizable sections introduced with iOS 18.
## Spatialize Photos
A standout feature of visionOS 2 last year was the ability to “spatialize” your photos. Now, iOS 26 brings that functionality to the iPhone through the Photos app. When viewing a photo, a new button located in the top-right corner allows you to view a ‘Spatial Scene’ version of the image. This essentially adds depth to your photo, allowing you to pan around to explore different dimensions. It’s an exciting feature within the Photos app, but it truly excels when using Spatial Scenes as your Lock Screen wallpaper.
## New Customization Settings
Within the new Collections tab, Apple is providing users with even greater customization capabilities than before. While you could already fully customize and reorder the sections displayed in your Photos app, iOS 26 introduces:
1. New viewing settings for your collections
2. The ability to collapse and expand individual collections
For the former, tapping the three dots at the top of the Collections tab reveals three viewing options. You can have all collections uniform in size, either all small or all large, or you can stick with the default option which makes certain collections visually more prominent than others. The option to temporarily collapse specific sections should also make it easier to navigate through your Collections view.
## Photos in iOS 26: Wrap-Up
This year’s Photos update demonstrates Apple’s efforts to advance the app while also utilizing iOS 26 to reintroduce some familiarity that users lost with iOS 18. It may not be as feature-rich as the previous year, but following the considerable overhaul, a year of stability could be precisely what Photos users desire most.
