iPhone’s Photos App Gets Major Updates with iOS 18.4: New Filters, Sorting, and More!

Apple’s latest iOS 18.4 update has arrived, and it’s bringing some exciting changes to the iPhone’s Photos app, alongside a host of new features that enhance the Apple experience. With this update, Apple is continuing to push the boundaries of smart technology, integrating Apple Intelligence into more regions, including India. The Photos app, in particular, sees several significant improvements, offering users more control over their albums, enhanced privacy features, and a smarter way to interact with their images. Here's a breakdown of the most exciting new features in iOS 18.4.

New Filtering and Sorting Options in the Photos App

One of the key improvements in the Photos app with iOS 18.4 is the addition of new filtering options that make managing and organizing your photos even easier.

New Filters for Better Organization

Apple has introduced two fresh filters in the Filter menu:

Shared with You: This option allows you to view photos that others have shared with you, making it easier to access shared memories or group photos.

Not in an Album: A handy filter for seeing images that aren’t stored in any album, helping you quickly identify unorganized photos.

These filters add another layer of convenience for users who want to fine-tune the way they view and interact with their photos.

New Sorting Option for Albums

The sort by Date Modification option is another useful addition. With this new feature, users can sort their albums and folders by the most recently modified, ensuring that the latest changes appear at the top. This addition complements the existing sorting options, which include Sort by Name and Sort by Custom Order, giving users greater flexibility when organizing their albums.

On top of that, Apple has made small changes to the Albums screen, renaming the “Grid” and “List” views to “List View” and “Key Photo”, making it easier to navigate and personalize how you see your albums.

Privacy-First Approach: New Hidden Albums

Apple has long been known for prioritizing privacy, and with the iOS 18.4 update, the Photos app introduces even more options to protect your data. Apple now includes a couple of albums by default that can be hidden or shown at your discretion, in addition to the existing Hidden Album. The two new albums are:

Recently Viewed: This album stores photos that you’ve recently accessed, offering a quick way to revisit them while keeping your content private.

Recently Shared: A similar feature for content shared recently, allowing you to manage your shared media more efficiently.

With these features, users have more control over which albums are visible, enhancing both privacy and organization.

Enhanced Customization: Reorder Your Albums

For those who prefer a more personalized experience, iOS 18.4 also introduces an “Edit” button that allows users to reorder the Utilities and Media Types list. Whether you want your most-used albums to appear first or prefer a custom order, this new feature gives you full control over your Photos app’s layout.

Apple Intelligence: Smarter Features for iPhone Users

Along with the Photos app improvements, iOS 18.4 brings a suite of powerful new features powered by Apple Intelligence, available to users in India and other regions. These enhancements not only improve usability but also make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive.

New Features Powered by Apple Intelligence

Writing Tools: Available across apps, this feature helps users rewrite, proofread, and summarize text while offering grammar check and tone adjustments.

Clean Up in Photos: Now you can easily remove unwanted objects or people from photos without compromising the image’s authenticity.

Smart Search in Photos: Search for specific moments in your photos or videos using natural language descriptions, making it easier than ever to find exactly what you're looking for.

Memories in Photos: Apple Intelligence now helps users create personalized memory films, adding photos and videos based on a text description and theme, which automatically generates a beautiful story.

Image Playground: This new feature allows users to generate images based on themes, costumes, and settings in different artistic styles such as Animation, Illustration, and Sketch.

Genmoji: A fun, new feature that lets you generate unique and personalized emojis to express yourself in a more creative way.

Image Wand in Notes: For those who like to sketch or create notes on the go, this Apple AI-powered tool enhances your drawings or generates new images based on the text around them.

Priority Features and Smarter Siri

In addition to these creative tools, iOS 18.4 introduces Priority Messages in Mail, which highlights important emails at the top of your inbox, ensuring you never miss crucial communications. Also, Priority Notifications makes it easier to focus on time-sensitive alerts, summarizing long notifications and prioritizing urgent messages, like meeting invites.

Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, is getting a major upgrade as well, becoming more natural and conversational with support for voice and text switching. This makes Siri feel more intuitive and responsive than ever before, ensuring a smoother user experience.

New Features for Communication and Productivity

Audio Transcription and Summarization: The Notes and Phone apps now allow users to record, transcribe, and summarize audio and phone calls automatically, making it easier to recall key points from conversations.

Visual Intelligence: This exciting new feature helps users identify objects, translate text, and even create calendar events from posters or flyers—further bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds.

ChatGPT Integration: Siri and Writing Tools now have access to ChatGPT, offering detailed responses and generating images based on user requests.

iOS 18.4 Brings Smart New Features to Your iPhone

With the iOS 18.4 update, Apple is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on your iPhone. Whether you're looking to organize your photos more efficiently, enhance your privacy, or take advantage of the latest advancements in Apple Intelligence, this update has something for everyone. The combination of smarter tools, better customization, and enhanced privacy features makes iOS 18.4 one of the most robust updates to date. If you haven’t updated yet, it’s time to experience all these new features for yourself.