Craig Federighi announcing the new Camera and Photos apps – image credit: Apple
Apple has unveiled the newly redesigned iOS 26 Camera and Photos apps, which both surface the most commonly used controls, while adding the new 3D effect option.
Announced during WWDC 2025, Camera and Photos are getting new redesign to specifically address making it faster to take the right shot.
Controls are simplified to present only what you need when you want it — image credit: Apple
“A simplified and streamlined design elevates the two capture modes that you use most, photo and video,” said Craig Federighi. “And all the powerful features that you love in camera are just a tap away.”
This means to get to options such as Slo-Mo, or Panorama, users can swipe left and right. Other options such as a swipe up will present settings such as flash, and timers.
Federighi says that it’s also easier to change between formats, so that with a single tap “you can quickly switch to 4K when you want to capture every detail.”
New Photos app
Alongside the camera improvements, Apple has refined the Photos app to similarly present quicker access to the most commonly used items. That includes the return of tabs, which Federighi acknowledged many users missed when they were removed in the iOS 18 redesign of Photos.
Photos has brought back tabs — image credit: Apple
“Photos now features separate tabs for Library and for Collections, where you’ll find your favorites, your albums, and easy access to search,” he added
During the presentation, Federighi had already demonstrated how images on the lock screen can now have an automatically-generated 3D effect. That same effect is also available in Photos.
