The Photos app for iPhone has looked completely different since iOS 18 and the interface of the application has been drastically adjusted by Apple. The app only contains one page with your photo library at the top and below that you will find quite a few featured photos and folders.
With the help of a clever trick it is possible to quickly open the photo library. You can then sort them by, for example, recently added or by date. We explain the fastest way to access your photos.
Quickly consult photo library
Apple has changed the Photos app for iPhone and iPad to a single page view. This means that all components are only displayed on one page, something that not everyone may have expected. Fortunately, you can quickly consult the photo library with the help of a trick.
- Open the Photos app
- Swipe down immediately
- The photo library is immediately displayed in full screen
You can then tap ‘Select’ to select items in your library. You can then share it or add it to an album, for example.

Quickly sort photos
Once you have opened the photo library, you can use the two arrows different display options or filters to display. You have the following options, among others:
- Sort by recently added
- Sort by capture date
- Show both libraries
- View personal library
- View shared library.
Use the filter option to filter the photos and videos by, for example, favorite, edited, screenshots, etc.

Sort by date or recent
In previous versions of the Photos app, you had a standard overview based on date and an overview between your albums sorted by ‘Recently Added’. This is no longer the case. By default, the photo library is sorted by date. After opening the photo library, tap the two arrows you can change the sorting from date to recently added.