At WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled the next generation of software for all of its best iPhones, best iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. There were some incredible new operating systems on show with the most impressive features coming in the form of Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI tool.
Since the event, I’ve been using iOS 18 on my iPhone 15 Pro Max and while the developer beta is a little lackluster without the inclusion of Apple Intelligence there is one new setting embedded into the new Photos app which has changed my life.
Here’s why this one new option in the Photos app is the most notable change to my iPhone in iOS 18, at least for now.
Bye bye screenshots
I love screenshots, I use them all the time. The ability to snap a photo of what’s on my device’s screen is probably the most used feature on my iPhone but the amount I use it can get seriously overwhelming. Because of the nature of my job as How To Editor for iMore, I’m always taking screenshots to showcase steps in my articles. Combined with my love for memes and sharing pictures with my friends and family, my screenshot tally has gotten out of control over the years.
At the time of writing, I have over 55,000 photos on my iPhone all backed up via iCloud. Of the 55,000, over 25,000 are screenshots — a seriously ridiculous amount. On iOS 18 there’s a new filter option in the updated Photos app that allows you to hide or show screenshots at the touch of a button. It’s a feature I’ve been waiting for as browsing my photos in the app with so many screenshots can get very infuriating.
Now with the added option to filter out screenshots, I can choose when I need to see them or when I don’t, a genuinely life-changing addition for me that makes using iOS 18 significantly better than iOS 17. Just last week I wanted to scroll through photos of my time in New York, yet before iOS 18 the location search was also littered with screenshots of maps from my trip. Now, on the newest software, I can get rid of those map screenshots completely making it much easier to get straight to the pictures that matter most.
iOS 18 awaits
iOS 18 is currently in beta and while you can download it now I’d recommend waiting until later this year when the official release goes live alongside the launch of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
While Apple Intelligence, Home Screen customization, and new apps like the Passwords app will grab all the headlines, this little addition is what I’m most excited about. I believe that this simple change to the way you can filter out screenshots could have the biggest impact on my daily life, far more than the ability to generate emojis with AI or change the tone of my emails.
