DB Labs
The Tips You'll Use Every Day
The most impactful hidden features in iPhone Photos are: drag-select multiple photos without tapping each one (tap Select, then drag across the grid); pinch-to-zoom the photo library grid; copy and paste edits between photos (three-dot menu → Copy Edits); lift subject from background with a long press; and use the Clean Up tool in iOS 18 to remove objects with AI. Most users have never tried any of these.
Selection & Navigation Tips (1–7)
1 Drag-Select Multiple Photos
Tap Select in the library, then drag your finger across the grid without lifting it. iOS draws a selection box and selects every photo your finger passes over. This is far faster than tapping photos one by one. Works both horizontally and vertically across the grid.
2 Pinch to Zoom the Photo Grid
In the Library view, pinch inward on the photo grid to show more, smaller thumbnails. Pinch outward to show fewer, larger ones. This works across all grid views including Albums. A great way to scan more photos at once when searching for a specific image.
3 Swipe Up on a Photo for Info
When viewing a full-screen photo, swipe up from the bottom to reveal a rich Info panel showing the capture date, time, GPS location (on a map), camera settings (focal length, aperture, exposure, ISO), file size, and format. Tap the map to see exactly where the photo was taken.
4 Pinch Out From a Photo to the Grid
When viewing a single photo, pinch outward to zoom into the full-screen view as expected. But pinch inward quickly to jump back to the photo grid — a faster alternative to tapping the back arrow. This gesture also works when viewing an album.
5 Long-Press for Quick Actions
Long-press any photo thumbnail in the grid for a quick-action menu: Share, Favorite, Add to Album, Copy, Duplicate, Slideshow, Hide, and Delete — all without opening the photo first. This is the fastest way to favorite or delete a photo while browsing.
6 Use the Scrubber Bar in Date Views
When browsing the Library in "All Photos" mode, a thin scrubber bar appears on the right side of the screen. Drag it vertically to jump forward or backward through months and years of photos instantly. Far faster than scrolling manually through thousands of images.
7 Lift a Subject From Any Photo
In iOS 16 and later, press and hold on any subject (person, animal, object) in a photo. A visual glow appears around the detected subject. Release and tap Copy to get a transparent PNG of just the subject — ready to paste into Messages, Notes, or any app. Tap Share to send the cutout directly.
Editing & Adjustment Tips (8–14)
8 Copy and Paste Edits Between Photos
Edit one photo perfectly. Then tap the three-dot menu (•••) → Copy Edits. Open any other photo, tap the three-dot menu → Paste Edits. All adjustments (exposure, saturation, crop, filter) transfer instantly. Game-changing for batch-editing event photos.
9 Tap and Hold Adjustment Sliders for Fine Control
In the photo editor, most sliders respond to a single tap-and-drag. For more precise control, tap and hold the slider briefly before dragging — the slider enters a slow/fine adjustment mode, letting you make micro-adjustments to exposure, saturation, or sharpness without overshooting.
10 Double-Tap Any Adjustment to Reset It
In the editing tools, double-tap any adjustment slider to reset that specific adjustment to zero — without resetting all your other edits. Great for undoing just one tweak while keeping everything else.
11 Tap the Photo While Editing to Compare
While editing, tap and hold the photo itself (not any button) to toggle between the original and your edited version. This lets you instantly compare your edits to the original at any time during the editing session without tapping any button.
12 Use Clean Up to Remove Objects (iOS 18)
In iOS 18, the Photos editor has a Clean Up tool — tap it, then circle or brush over any unwanted object in your photo (a photobomber, a trash can, a power line). iPhone uses on-device AI to remove the object and fill the background realistically. Results are excellent for simple removals.
13 Revert to Original at Any Time
All iPhone photo edits are non-destructive. The original is always preserved. At any time — even months or years later — open the edited photo, tap Edit, then scroll to the bottom of the edit tools and tap Revert. This restores the original photo instantly. You never permanently modify the original in the Photos app.
14 Edit RAW Photos to Unlock More Dynamic Range
If you shoot ProRAW, the Photos editor shows additional adjustment controls specifically for RAW files — including a dedicated RAW toggle button in the top-left of the editor. Turning off RAW shows the processed JPEG version; turning it on gives you the full RAW editing latitude with extra highlight and shadow recovery range.
Camera & Capture Tips (15–20)
15 Swipe Up on the Shutter to Burst Mode
Instead of holding the shutter button to shoot video, swipe it to the left (or down on some models) to lock into burst mode. iPhone captures rapid-fire photos as long as you hold. Swipe to the right side to lock the shutter for video. This avoids accidental video when you want bursts.
16 Use Volume Buttons as Shutter
Either volume button on iPhone functions as a camera shutter — tap Volume Up or Volume Down to take a photo. This gives a more natural grip for two-handed shooting and is especially useful in Portrait mode. Hold either volume button to record video.
17 Tap the Yellow Box to Lock Focus and Exposure
Tap any area of the frame to set focus there. Then press and hold until you see AE/AF Lock appear at the top of the screen. This locks both focus and exposure — so even as lighting changes or your subject moves, the camera does not re-adjust. Useful for controlled portrait or product shots.
18 Slide the Sun Icon for Exposure Compensation
After tapping to focus, a sun icon appears next to the yellow focus box. Slide the sun up to brighten the exposure, down to darken it. This manual exposure compensation is available before and during capture, giving you real control over how bright or dark your image is without entering any settings menu.
19 Use Action Mode for Smooth Handheld Video
iPhone 14 and later have an Action Mode in the camera app — tap the running figure icon in the top bar when in Video mode. Action Mode applies extreme stabilization, similar to a gimbal. Resolution is capped at 2.8K to allow the crop needed for stabilization, but handheld video becomes nearly as smooth as a stabilized gimbal shot.
20 Mirror the Front Camera
By default, the front camera captures a mirrored image of what you see in the preview (a non-mirrored view). Go to Settings → Camera → Front Camera and toggle on Mirror Front Camera to save selfies exactly as they appear in the preview. Many people prefer mirrored selfies since that is how they see themselves.
Organization & Search Tips (21–25)
21 Search for Anything in Your Photo Library
The Photos search bar understands natural language. Try searching "beach sunset 2024," "birthday cake," "dog in snow," or "receipt." iPhone uses on-device machine learning to recognize scenes, objects, people, and text in your photos — all privately, without uploading anything to Apple's servers.
22 Search for Text in Photos (Live Text)
Live Text in iOS 15 and later lets you search for actual words that appear in photos. Search for a license plate, a sign, a handwritten note, or a receipt number and Photos finds every photo containing that text. Tap text in a photo to copy it, translate it, or tap a phone number to call it.
23 Create Smart Albums from People & Pets
In the Albums → People & Pets section, iPhone automatically groups photos by recognized faces. Tap a face, then tap the name field to assign a name. Once named, that person gets a dedicated album that auto-updates. You can merge duplicate face entries by tapping and long-pressing a face to select multiple, then tapping Merge.
24 Batch Delete Entire Albums
To delete an entire album and all the photos in it, go to Albums, tap See All, tap Edit, then tap the red minus button on the album. You will be asked whether to delete just the album (keeping photos in your library) or delete the album and remove all photos. This is much faster than selecting photos individually.
25 Hide Photos from the Main Library
Long-press any photo or video, tap Hide. The photo moves to the Hidden album under Utilities in Albums. In iOS 16 and later, the Hidden album is locked behind Face ID or Touch ID by default — go to Settings → Photos → toggle on Use Face ID to enable this. Hidden photos do not appear in the main library, Memories, or sharing suggestions. For more, see our guide on hiding photos on iPhone.
Now that you know how to use the Photos app like a pro, the next step is keeping your library lean. Most people accumulate thousands of blurry shots, near-duplicate bursts, and old screenshots. Use Swype Photo Cleaner to swipe through your library and delete the clutter — it works perfectly with all the albums and photos you manage in the iOS Photos app.
For more iPhone tips, see our iOS 18 photo management guide and our guide on creating photo albums on iPhone.
Now Put It Into Practice — Clean Up Your Library
You know the tricks. Now use them. Start with Swype Photo Cleaner to delete all the blurry shots and duplicates you no longer need — the fastest way to reclaim storage and keep only your best photos.
Free · iPhone · iOS 16+ · 100% on-device, zero uploads
Free · iPhone · iOS 16+