iOS 26 comes with a renewed photos app: this is what it looks like

The Photos app has already been renewed considerably in iOS 18, but more changes will follow in iOS 26 – we show what you can expect from it.

iOS 26 has a renewed photos app

The new design of iOS 26 also comes to most Apple apps. The Photos app also gets even more changes. We list them for you.

Liquid Glass

The new ‘Liquid Glass’ design of iOS 26 is therefore also seen everywhere in the photos app. Photos and videos remain the visual center of the app, so that Liquid Glass In the app photos is not used as extensively as in some other apps. Nevertheless, it is a nice innovation that you cannot ignore.

Tabs

When Apple thoroughly renewed the photos app in iOS 18, navigation was the biggest change. The familiar tabbeam disappeared. Instead, Apple opted for an interface with one screen. After many dissatisfied reactions, Apple brings the tabbeam back in iOS 26.

It is not a complete return to how it was before iOS 18, but it looks like it again. There are now three tabs: Library (Library), collections (collections) and search. Library works in the same way as in older versions of the app and collections brings together all new, adjustable sections that were introduced in iOS 18.

Spatial scenes (Spatial Scenes)

One of the striking features of Visionos 2 last year was the possibility to give your photos a spatial effect. Now iOS 26 brings that possibility to your iPhone via the photos app.

When you look at a photo, there is a new button in the top right corner with which you can view a ‘spatial scene’ version of the image. In essence this gives your photo depth, so that you can pans to see different dimensions. It is especially nice to use this function for the background of the locking screen.

More adaptation options

The new collection tab offers even more adjustment options than before. You could already fully adjust and rearrange which sections are displayed in your photos app, but iOS 26 adds the following:

1. New display settings for your collections.
2. The option to fold and fold individual collections together.

You can now tap the three dots at the top of the collection tab to open three display options. You can then make all collections uniform in terms of size (all small or all large). You can also retain the standard setting, so that certain collections are more visual than others. The possibility of temporarily hiding certain sections must also make it easier to navigate through the collection display.

The photos app in iOS 26

The update of the Photos app in iOS 26 shows that Apple is further developing the app and at the same time reducing a number of familiar functions. The update does not contain as many new functions as in iOS 18, but after those radical changes, a bit of stability is perhaps what most users want. The new version of the photos app will be available to the general public in September.