Apple’s iOS 18 brought numerous changes to the Photos app and after spending time trying out every new feature, I’ve found these deliver significant value.
While Apple Intelligence has arguably been the most significant addition for iPhone, iPad and MacBook users, some of the most practical improvements have been implemented in the Photos app.
If, you’re anything like me, you might have experienced challenges with organizing and finding specific images in your ever-growing library. And there’s certain features that stand out as they address common pain points.
Let’s take a look at these five features that make the most meaningful difference in how you’ll actually use Photos in iOS 18.
1. Hide people from Memories
(Image: © Future)
Whether you’ve gone through a breakup, had a falling out, or simply want to see less of someone in your life, Apple has quietly built one of its most thoughtful features into the Photos app: the ability to control who shows up in your Memories.
To do this, open the Photos app and find a photo where the person’s face is clearly visible. Tap the info (i) button, then choose Feature This Person Less. If the person is featured in a group photo, tap their personal icon.
You’ll get two options: Feature Less (to reduce their appearance in Memories) or Never Feature (to remove them entirely from Memories). Choose one and tap Confirm to save.
This only works for photos where iOS has detected the person’s face. These photos will still remain in your library, they just won’t appear in featured Memories.
2. Try a Memory Movie
(Image: © Future)
Memory Movie transforms how you create slideshows from your photo library by using simple text prompts. This feature takes the concept of Memories further by giving you far more control over what appears and how it’s presented.
For example, typing “photos of football and baseball games set to marching band music” will generate a slideshow featuring exactly those images from your library.
To use this feature, open the Photos app and scroll to Memories. Tap Create to start a Memory Movie. Choose a suggested prompt or type your own — specific ideas work best. You can also pick a music style (Apple Music users get more options).
Once finished, tap Done or the up arrow. Apple Intelligence will generate a movie using relevant photos, text, and music. It plays automatically when ready.
3. Search with Apple Intelligence
(Image: © Future)
The improved search functionality in iOS 18 Photos represents a massive leap forward in finding specific images. Previously, searches were limited to basic keywords, but Apple Intelligence now enables natural language queries that understand context and nuance.
Searching for something like “Dinner in Southampton” will now intelligently return photos of meals out during your trip. This contextual understanding extends to objects, locations, people, and activities.
I’ve found this particularly valuable when searching through years of travel photos. Where I once had to remember specific dates or manually create albums, I can now use conversational language to find exactly what I’m looking for in seconds.
4. Hide screenshots
(Image: © Future)
The ability to automatically filter out screenshots from your main photo view addresses a common pain point for many iPhone users.
This immediately hides all screenshots from your main gallery view without deleting them, creating a much cleaner browsing experience focused on your actual photographs.
To use this feature, open the Photos app, tap the filter icon, select View Options, and uncheck Screenshots.
What makes this feature especially valuable is that it doesn’t require any ongoing management. Screenshots remain accessible when needed through the Albums tab, but they no longer crowd your main photo stream.
For someone who takes dozens of screenshots daily for how-to articles, this feature is a game-changer.
5. Create a shared album
(Image: © Future)
The shared albums feature has received significant improvements that make them more useful for collaborative photo collections.
Creating and managing shared albums is now more intuitive, with better controls over who can see and contribute to your collections.
To create a shared album, simply open the Photos app and go to the Albums tab. Then tap Shared and Create.
After naming your album, it’s ready to share with participants. My friend and I use a shared album to keep each other updated with our lives, when we can’t get to the phone.
I’ve found it’s also especially useful after attending events or travelling with groups, as everyone can contribute their perspectives. Plus, it’s a great place to store memories.
Now that you’ve learned about the five iOS 18 Photos app features worth using, why not check out some of our other iPhone articles?
For help with documents and messages, Writing Tools is one of Apple Intelligence’s most useful features. And for less well-known features, check out the changes to iOS 18 Notes, including how to summarize audio notes and phone call transcripts.