How to Sort and Customize Views in Apple Photos on iPhone (iOS 26)
Apple Photos in iOS 26 makes it easier than ever to control how your photo library looks and behaves. Whether you want your newest photos at the bottom, need to quickly jump to the beginning of your library, or prefer larger thumbnails for browsing, the Photos app now gives you fast, flexible options.
This guide walks through the exact tools and gestures shown in the video so you can confidently customize your photo views on iPhone.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
How to sort photos by date captured or recently added
How to quickly jump to the top of your photo library
How to switch between All Photos, monthly, and yearly views
How to customize photo size and layout using view options
How to use pinch gestures to zoom in and out of your library
📂 Understanding the Library View in Apple Photos
The Library view is the main hub for browsing photos in the Photos app. In iOS 26, it remains the default starting point and includes new shortcuts for sorting and navigation.
From here, you can quickly change how photos are displayed and how they are ordered.
Accessed by tapping Library in the bottom-left corner
Displays photos in chronological order by default
Serves as the entry point for sorting and view customization
🔃 Sorting Photos by Date Captured or Recently Added
iOS 26 lets you control whether your newest photos appear at the top or bottom of the library. This can be especially helpful if you import photos or frequently scroll through recent content.
Sorting options are found directly within the Library menu.
Sort by Date Captured keeps your most recent photos at the bottom
Sort by Recently Added shows newly imported photos at the bottom
Sorting affects only how photos are displayed, not their metadata
⬆️ Quickly Jumping to the Top of Your Library
When scrolling through a large photo library, getting back to the beginning can be tedious. iOS 26 includes a simple gesture that instantly returns you to the top.
This shortcut makes navigating years of photos much faster.
Tap at the very top of the screen to jump to the beginning
Tap the Library icon again to return to your previous position
Works consistently across different library views
🗂 Switching Between All Photos, Months, and Years
The Photos app allows you to change how photos are grouped visually. You can view everything at once or break your library into more digestible sections.
These views help you browse large collections more efficiently.
Swipe down to reveal All Photos, Months, and Years views
All Photos shows your entire library in one continuous grid
Months and Years group photos by time for quicker browsing
🔍 Customizing Photo Size and Layout
iOS 26 introduces improved control over how large photos appear on screen. You can adjust spacing, zoom level, and layout directly from the Photos menu.
These options allow you to tailor the library to your browsing preference.
Open the menu in the top-right corner and choose View Options
Zoom in or out to change thumbnail size
Adjust how tightly photos are packed on screen
✋ Using Pinch Gestures to Zoom
In addition to menu controls, iOS 26 supports intuitive gestures for resizing your photo grid. This makes adjusting views feel fast and natural.
You can change the look of your library without opening any menus.
Pinch inward to zoom out and see more photos at once
Pinch outward to zoom in for larger previews
Works seamlessly alongside View Options
