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With iOS 18.4 in its beta phase, Apple is introducing a host of exciting new features that make the Photos app more flexible and user-friendly than ever before. Whether you’re a casual photographer or someone who relies heavily on their device’s photo management, these updates will make it easier to organize, filter, and manage your media. Let’s dive into the major changes you can expect from this new version.
iOS 18.4 Photos App Enhancements
iOS 18.4 brings several noteworthy improvements to Apple’s Photos app. These updates provide users with more control over how their photos and albums are displayed and organized, as well as additional privacy settings. Here’s a breakdown of the new features:
1. New Filtering Options
The Photos app introduces two new filter options that help streamline the search for your images and videos. Now, you can filter content based on whether it’s been:
– Shared with You: See only photos or videos that others have shared with you.
– Not in an Album: Find photos and videos that haven’t been sorted into any album.
Additionally, when accessing the Albums screen,
2. New Album Sorting Option
A much-requested feature, iOS 18.4 now allows you to sort albums by Date Modified, bringing any albums or folders with recent changes to the top of your Albums view. This is in addition to the already available sorting options: Sort by Name and Sort by Custom Order. However, the renaming of the Grid and List options to List View and Key Photo could be a confusing change for some users, as it doesn’t seem to alter functionality, just terminology.
3. Disabling Albums for Privacy
Privacy is a significant concern for many iPhone users, and iOS 18.4 offers more control in this area. You can now disable albums like Recently Viewed and Recently Shared, which are visible by default and could potentially reveal sensitive information. This setting can be found in Settings > Apps > Photos, offering an added layer of privacy for those who don’t want these albums to be displayed.
4. Bulk Recover or Delete Photos
Another handy feature in iOS 18.4 is the ability to bulk recover or delete photos from the Recently Deleted album. With a single tap of the Recover All or Delete All buttons, you can manage multiple photos at once, saving time when cleaning up your library.
What Undercode Says:
The new features in iOS 18.4’s Photos app bring significant improvements in both usability and privacy. The addition of filtering options is a welcome change, as it allows for better organization and quicker access to specific content, such as images shared with you or those that are still unorganized in albums. This change could especially benefit users with large photo libraries, where finding specific media could previously feel like a hassle.
The Date Modified sorting option addresses a long-standing user request and improves workflow for people who regularly edit or move their photos. It’s a small but impactful change that enhances how users interact with the Albums screen, ensuring that recent updates are always at the forefront.
The ability to disable albums like Recently Viewed and Recently Shared is particularly important in today’s privacy-conscious world. Many users have long requested more control over the visibility of these albums, and iOS 18.4 delivers. By allowing the option to hide these albums, Apple ensures that users who prioritize privacy can feel more secure in managing their digital media.
The bulk actions in the Recently Deleted album also streamline the process of managing photos, making it easier to declutter or recover media without having to go through each item individually. This feature alone could be a game-changer for those who tend to accumulate large numbers of deleted photos or videos that they later wish to restore.
While the changes to album views and sorting are beneficial, the renaming of Grid to Key Photo and List to List View feels somewhat unnecessary. The new terminology doesn’t seem to improve functionality, and it could potentially confuse users who are familiar with the previous options. However, this is a minor issue and unlikely to detract from the overall positive impact of the update.
Overall, iOS 18.4’s Photos enhancements bring several welcome features that will enhance the user experience, especially for those who use their iPhones as their primary method for organizing photos and videos. Whether it’s for easier searching, better privacy controls, or more efficient organization, this update promises to make managing media more intuitive.
Fact Checker Results:
- New Filtering Options – The new filter options are indeed present in iOS 18.4, allowing users to filter by shared or unorganized photos.
- New Sorting Option for Albums – Sorting by Date Modified is available, giving users more control over album arrangements.
- Disabling Privacy Albums – iOS 18.4 allows users to disable albums like Recently Viewed and Recently Shared for privacy reasons.
References:
Reported By: https://9to5mac.com/2025/03/11/apples-photos-app-gets-four-new-enhancements-in-ios-184
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