Albums missing or moving in iOS 18 photos app

It’s a shame Apple is disregarding this issue. I guess there are too few people complaining and therefore we are just insignificant. I am definitely shelving the idea of going to an iPhone 16 for sure now. Definitely not updating to ios 18. Good luck folks !!!

I updated my iPad mini, opened photos & thought I’d opened eBay by mistake. Tiring to read a mess of sub titles & scattered photos. Is anyone else’s Hidden Photo Album empty? I can’t find those photos.

I really can’t figure this out. My recent photos just seem to be an upside down endless scroll which starts at the bottom. The shared family album is now below half a page of recent photos. They seem to have thought photos should be added in the same way you add words to a page. It really is one of the worst updates in recent years. I can’t believe there was no negative feedback on this during testing, its a mess. Please revert.

The way I understand, Apple doesn’t read these posts . I whined and complained too but it has fallen on deaf ears . I called support yesterday and they said this problem has not been voiced to them . Huh? I have not upgraded to ios 18 yet. Doubt I will .

The reason is for tips from other users that may have experienced the same issues. That is it! Since Apple conveniently ignores these issues and doesn’t evidently want to get involved it is otherwise useless!

Same happed to me plus other apps won’t open since I downloaded IOS 18.1 you hit an icon it flicks open for 1/2 a second and then closes. I will never update my iPhone again no matter how many red dotes appear on Settings because my next phone will be anything but an Apple, to support this poor excuse of a company and have to deal with their past and present nonsense is over.

Sincere thanks for providing this fix, so clearly explained. I'm a pro photographer using Mac Studio desktops and iPhones/iPads. I don't use icloud, my archive is stored and redundantly backed up on Samsung SSDs. The ability to sync select albums On My Mac to mobile devices is essential. I've been delaying updating mobiles to 18 due to the profound changes to the Photos app. As a test I just updated one of the phones using your instructions and am so glad to have your fix. Photos is still a mess for many other reasons but the key issue of synced albums is again workable.

To end on a positive note I can confirm that Lightroom running on an M4 Mac Studio or the fabulous new M4 Mac Mini is capable of rendering and almost instantaneously searching a growing archive of nearly a half million high res iPhone jpg and DNG images and full-frame camera jpgs all stored on 8TB QVO SSDs. Just wish Apple would offer 2TB on new iPhones for those of us who often work in areas without cellular or wifi and who don't use iCloud for storage of large data archives.

Changes to photo app in IOS 18 are horrible! I won't "upgrade." Especially hate all the "organization" and "simplification." Please don't create idiotic "people" "pets" "trips" etc. on my behalf. It was bad enough in IOS 17, where features like this couldn't be disabled, used up storage, and created embarrassments. I'm shocked that I might lose, even partially or temporarily, the albums that I created, which are essential to my work.

anthonygeo wrote:

What a mess Apple created with this update! Why do they always assume this is what the people want? Why is it so difficult to search Photos now and where the **** are my screenshots going? I even choose save to photos and they are not showing up. The Photos app is a headache now along with the password app. Like who thought a separate app for passwords was a good idea?

Apple doesn't read here in this user-to-user forum for feedback or suggestions. You can, however, let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Bullshark1 wrote:

I have also stopped using PC's because they were so fragile and fickle . I went to Apple for simplicity and functionality. Does any body think they are reading this thread and give a hoot? I think they have become too big and forgot us little people.

Apple doesn't read here in this user-to-user forum for feedback or suggestions. You can, however, let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Oh well, maybe Elon will develop a phone and it will just plain work. We can only hope.

You mean like "X" just works? It's still early but that's likely to be the funniest thing I will read today.

I figured out how to fix it and posted the instructions earlier in this thread.

Me and friends have now tested it on both PC and Mac and it works on both.

Yeah… fifteen ways to leave your lover… I prefer to wait till the first fix from Cupertino.

Bring back photo albums. Do u realize how long it takes to arrange these pics? Find them again without albums? This is nuts…

Hidden album is home after update 18.1.1. More importantly the toggle on/off is missing from the settings under photos !! Where is it iPad 18.1.1?’

I have had the same issue since Friday. I have spoken to 6 different Apple techs and nothing. We have even restored the phone's ios 18 software, and still the same issue. Albums are not showing on the iPhone, but are clearly in iCloud, on my MacBook Pro and on my iPad. We have even tried setting up the phone from the iPad and that didn't work. If you sync the phone to the Mac the albums appear, but as soon as you turn IcLoud sync back on, they disappear. And now I noticed that RCS isn't working, but it was on Friday night. This has been a complete nightmare! The only thing that may have worked is if I had kept my iPhone 14 and reset it using the iPhone 14, but of course, I turned it in for the $500 trade in value already. If anyone can get a solution, please post!