The iOS 18.4 public beta has just launched, and with it come several subtle but useful changes to how you use your Photos app.
The first update, originally spotted by 9to5Mac, is the addition of two new filter options in the Photos app. You can now sort images by those that were sent to you instead of taken yourself, and by images not currently in any album.
The way to do this is to press the button in the bottom-left corner of the screen that resembles the two arrows facing different directions and then select the filter tab.
This is a great change for users who are constantly sent images by friends and family. Now it will be much easier to find the one meme your uncle sent you a few weeks ago without having to sort through a thousand other photos he also sent.
Apple is also adding new options for viewing your albums. Currently in iOS 18.3, you can sort albums by name or sort by custom option, but iOS 18.4 adds a third choice which will allow you to organize them by date modified. The update also changes the names of Grid and List viewing modes to List View and Key Photo.
These new sorting options should benefit people who like to file their photos properly, as well as make it easier to keep track of which albums you’ve been sending images to.
iOS 18.4 improves privacy
It’s not just changes to how we see our albums, as iOS 18.4 is also making it easier to hide your activity from prying eyes.
Currently it is possible to save images to a hidden folder, making them much harder to find for anyone looking at your phone. However, Apple is now making it possible to hide the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared album options in the Photos app as well.
You can turn this option on and off by heading to the Photos section in the settings menu and scrolling down to find the ‘Show Recently Viewed & Shared’ toggle.
This could remove a lot of stress for people, as anyone looking over your shoulder or handling your phone won't be able to see what you've recently been looking at. That's a lot of options for potential embarrassment now eliminated.
Finally, iOS 18.4 will offer a new option to quickly remove all deleted photos and videos permanently. If you open the Recently Deleted album, you will spot a new trash can button that will throw out all deleted items.
However, if you accidentally deleted a photo or video, then you can now use the recover all option to quickly recover everything back to your library.
iOS 18.4 does more than just improve your Photos app
iOS 18.4 does more than just improve the Photos app. The update now makes it easier to access Apple Intelligence, and the ability to explore Vision Pro content. And if you happen to have an iPhone 15 Pro, then you’re in luck as iOS 18.4 adds one of the most popular features from the iPhone 16 series, Visual Intelligence.
It is worth noting that the iOS 18.4 beta is, as the name suggests, a beta, so there is still the possibility of buggy code that could have a permanent impact on your phone or files in a worst-case scenario. However, Apple reportedly plans to release the stable version in April so there isn’t long to wait if you don't want to take that risk.
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