Not all of the changes made to Apple’s Photos app in iOS 18 have been positively received. Thankfully, Apple has taken user criticism into consideration and updated Photos in iOS 18.2 with five significant updates.
1: Video interface changes
One controversial update to iOS 18 was that videos would initially play with borders and required tapping to full-screen.
Videos are now automatically full-screen by default in iOS 18.2. No tapping is required, and there is no strange zooming in and out effect.
It’s really much more like how videos worked before iOS 18, albeit you can still tap to hide interface elements and get a cleaner view.
2: Disable auto-looping videos
Does the automatic looping of your videos bother you? Apple now gives customers an option.
A new toggle called Loop Videos has been added under Settings ⇾ Photos.
The looping behavior is still enabled by default, but you may turn it off with a single flip of the switch.
3: Swipe to go back
You used to have to press the back button in the top-left corner of the Photos app on iOS 18 in order to go back when exploring the many Collections available. It was particularly annoying on larger iPhones.
To exit a Collection view in iOS 18.2, a swipe gesture has been included. To return to your previous view, swipe right from the left side of the screen, just as in any other Apple app.
4: Frame-by-frame video scrubbing
With iOS 18.2, you can now get really specific with a video if you want to.
There is now support for frame-by-frame scrubbing, along with a new millisecond reading for the timestamp while you scrub.
5: Clearing history
In iOS 18, the Photos app’s list of utilities has grown, and there are a few options you may not be aware of:
- Recently Viewed
- Recently Shared
You may see a recent history of your activities in both of these albums. They enable you to easily view items you’ve shared with others as well as those you’ve recently viewed.
You may now clear the history in each of these albums for the first time in iOS 18.2.
A single item can be removed from the pop-up menu by long-pressing it. Alternatively, you can select “Remove All” from the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the album.
iOS 18.2 Photos changes: wrap-up
Given that iOS 18 significantly redesigned one of Apple’s most popular apps, it is not surprise that consumers have found it difficult to adjust to some of the changes. Apple’s implementation of quality-of-life enhancements in iOS 18.2 that improve Photos’ performance in response to user input is commendable.