For those unsatisfied with the Photos app “upgrade” in iOS 18, a new app is offering an alternative. Capitalizing on consumer backlash against Apple's change to a single-page, tab-free design for the default Photos app, photo app maker LateNiteSoft is introducing a new app called Photon Library that not only complements the company's other photo apps and photo editing tools, but also offers the familiar look of the old iOS Photos app that was there before iOS 17.
The company was inspired to create an alternative photo app after seeing early iOS 18 adopters unhappy with Apple's new design.
iPhone users have been lamenting the changes to the Photos app since it debuted in the iOS 18 beta. While the redesign improves customizability, many believe the app's new design takes a step back in terms of usability by cramming everything on one page. A Reddit page is full of user complaints, with reviewers calling it the biggest gripe with the iOS 18 software update. Meanwhile, several tech sites have started offering tutorials on how to customize the redesigned app to make it more usable and closer to the older version.
The Photon Library offers another option: instead of getting used to the Photos changes, the Photon Library gives users an easy way to go back to the old-style look and feel of Photos, albeit in an experience built by a third party.
The app brings back the tabbed design and also includes other photo app features like a basic photo grid, a scrollable list of albums, and quick access to your favorite photos.
Image credit: LateNiteSoft/Photon Library
Instead of scrolling down the screen like in the Photos app in iOS 18, tabs at the bottom of the Photon Library give you quick access to your recent photos, albums, calendar view, and favorites. This is a bit different from the Photos app in iOS 17, which offered tabs for Library, Albums, “For You,” and Search, but the company thinks the tabs will be even more useful.
Noël Rosenthal, a product manager at LateNiteSoft, said he hopes his family's tech support people will remember the company's app when they upgrade to iOS 18 and start complaining about “how difficult the new Photos app is to use.”
To make it easier for users to switch between apps, Photon Library does not include a subscription – instead, the app is a paid download for iPhone and iPad, starting at $4.99 in the US during its launch on the App Store.
Image credit: LateNiteSoft/Photon Library
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