iOS 18: Master the New Search Features in the Photos App

[MacRumors]

Apple's iOS 18 update brings powerful new search functions to the Photos app, allowing you to find specific images with unprecedented precision. Here's how to make the most of its new capabilities.

In iOS 18, the key to effective searching in Photos is using natural language. Instead of simple keywords, try describing the photo you're looking for in detail. The app can now understand complex queries and find images based on specific elements within them.

For example, if you've previously identified friends and family using the People and Pets features, you can search for "Dad smiling" or "Snowy sleeping." The more specific you are, the better your results will be. You can even search for actions or emotions, like "kids laughing at swings" or "couple dancing at wedding."

The new search function is also pretty handy at finding objects and scenes. Try queries like "car next to lake" or "sunset over city skyline." You can combine multiple elements in your search, such as "yellow flowers in vase by window."

For food lovers, searches like "pizza with mushrooms" or "steak and chips on table" can help you find culinary inspirations from your photo library. When searching for people, you can now include details about their appearance or actions. "Mum in green hat with wine glass" or "Emma in wedding dress" are examples of how specific you can get.

The Photos app can even search within videos. If you remember a specific moment in a video but can't recall which one, try describing the scene. For instance, "baby crawling" or "fireworks over lake" can take you directly to that moment.

Note that for these advanced search features to work, the Photos app needs time to index your library. This process happens on your device to protect your privacy, so be patient if searches aren't immediately accurate after updating to iOS 18.

With practice, you'll find that the new search function in Photos can help you rediscover forgotten memories and locate specific images with ease. Don't be afraid to get creative with your searches – you might be surprised at what the app can find.

Article Link: iOS 18: Master the New Search Features in the Photos App

 

[kirky29]

I find the search button a little too small, and doesn't always respond first time, and 4/10 times it either freezes mid typing or just crashes for me. (Reported many times to Apple)

 

[macfacts]

The new "it's indexing" battery drainer 🤔

 

[now i see it]

The new Photos App is so wonderful!
As in wondering…

 

[jz0309]

While I have the photos app on my phone and about 10k photos in it, I manage my photos on my Mac in LRC…

but will say this: if you need a guide on how to use search - something is wrong

 

[droidgod]

would be nice if the indexing showed a progress bar… Also its horrible at searching for locations (compared to Google Photos on the same bunch of photos)

 

[PsykX]

I find the new Photos app much longer to navigate overall, however the Search has improved by magnitudes. I love it.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Maybe someone can answer this one when searching in the new Photos app. About 2/3 of the time, when I do a search and I ready to pick the photo, it checkmarks it, like I'm selecting several to txt/email/etc. The only way I've figured out to get out of this check many option is to exit the app and start over.

Something I'm doing wrong?

would be nice if the indexing showed a progress bar… Also its horrible at searching for locations (compared to Google Photos on the same bunch of photos)

Mine has been indexing since iOS 18 release day. Figured it would be done by now.

 

[peneaux]

I have a Google Pixel 1 that gives me unlimited storage at original quality photos. I can copy all photos taken from DLSR or iPhone and upload them from my Pixel and go to my Google Photos app so I can access them everywhere.

I like to separate the photos I like to store and the ones I just took so I can sort it out later. I was contemplating paying $3/month for the extra iCloud storage and Apple promises e2ee for photos which is better than Google accessing my photos (imagine Google getting hacked and releasing all my OnlyFans content for free!).

I am not sure about Apple because it seems like it would become a little too convoluted.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

I don’t like the new app. Simplifying everything is not always the best solution. I could search for my camera roll before.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I have a Google Pixel 1 that gives me unlimited storage at original quality photos. I can copy all photos taken from DLSR or iPhone and upload them from my Pixel and go to my Google Photos app so I can access them everywhere.

I like to separate the photos I like to store and the ones I just took so I can sort it out later. I was contemplating paying $3/month for the extra iCloud storage and Apple promises e2ee for photos which is better than Google accessing my photos (imagine Google getting hacked and releasing all my OnlyFans content for free!).

I am not sure about Apple because it seems like it would become a little too convoluted.

Is the Pixel 1 the only model that can do that? My wife has a Pixel 8, but still has her 2 that she just upgraded from a few months ago.

 

[eas]

The new "it's indexing" battery drainer 🤔

I had trouble with Photos stalling on indexing a my photos after an upgrade a few versions back. From watching the logs I saw that none of the batch AI processing runs while on battery. This was true before and after my problem was resolved.

 

[dakicka]

They made Photos much worse. First, there should be a simple search to find Albums by name from within Albums.

Second, the idiots that re designed photos made evening convoluted and more difficult to get to things. The whole swiping up and down of the fixed Recent Days, etc is annoying.

Third, trying the watch VIDEOS and play them back frame by frame is an incessant task. I literally might switch to an android for the sole reason I cannot watch videos in full screen not scrub frame by frame with a timeline anymore. The powers that be that approved this massive downgrade ought to be fired immediately.

 

[eperitus]

With this new search in iOS 18, you can no longer search on the phone for “telephoto” or “iPhone 13” or “Pixel 8” to find photos taken with those phones or at certain focal lengths.

 

[imola.zhp]

Its truly a mess, apple needs to come out with some videos to help or an option to revert to the previous layout.

 

[timborama]

Siri show me my camera roll… 🦗🦗🦗

 

[ApAx]

How long does it need to index? After a week on ios18, and indexing is still running on just a few hundred photos.

Also, I wish siri could search photos. When i ask siri to “show me the photo where…” it shows bing web results for some reason

 

[redmaple]

Once you have performed a search, is there any way to increase the size of the thumbnails of the search result? Trying to increase size by using 2 fingers to increase just shows 1 picture. I was expecting it to work the same way as when you view your library and pinch/expand

 

[BaldiMac]

I've got two issues with the new search.

1. "Recently Viewed". There should be a way to disable this. Or at least clear the history. It's a privacy issue.
2. Special characters in Search. I labeled a bunch of my photos with an asterisk or other special characters in the caption field. Searching for them now brings up "No Results."

Outside of search, my only other issue is that there no longer appears to be an option to play a slideshow that shows the original photo in it's entirety. It's randomly cropped to fill the screen.

 

[citysnaps]

Whoa!

I haven't been playing around with this for very long, and had no idea my phone was indexing photos in the background, but so far I'm super impressed. 28,000+ photos in my iPhone 16PM Photos library. Whether I type or speak, and using multiple object criteria, results are returned in an instant.

What an outstanding feature! One that'll use a lot.

 

[mac_head]

You know that design and user interfaces are bad when you have to "master" them...

 

[Haventseenitall]

I keep looking for my camera roll and album. Hate the new Photo's app. It's so bad. Let me have control.

 

[citysnaps]

You know that design and user interfaces are bad when you have to "master" them...

I certainly didn't need to master anything. I just spoke something like, "Show me daytime photos with dogs, women, cars, and umbrellas. Instant results from my large photo library.

 

[mrfunnypenguin]

Currently not liking this redesign. It's like whoever designed it never actually tried using it. Hopefully Apple will improve it in future releases!

 

[chrisone]

Surprise, all the fun words don’t work