The 3 Fastest Ways To Find Your 'Favorites' Album In The New IOS 18 Photos App

The moment you updated your iPhone to iOS 18, you likely noticed a massive, fundamental change to the Photos application. The familiar tab-based layout (Library, Albums, For You) is gone, replaced by a single, unified, and endlessly scrollable view that merges your entire photo library with new organizational tools. This radical redesign has left millions of users—as of today, December 15, 2025—scrambling to find their most essential collections, particularly the beloved Favorites album, which seems to have vanished from its usual spot.

The good news is that your cherished photos aren't lost; they've simply been relocated and re-categorized as part of Apple's push for a more streamlined, AI-driven media experience. The key to accessing your "missing" album lies in understanding the new Pinned Collections feature, which now acts as the central hub for all your manually curated photo groups in the iOS 18 Photos app. We’ll walk you through the three quickest and most reliable methods to locate and restore your Favorites album instantly.

The iOS 18 Photos App Redesign: Why Your Albums Moved

The primary source of confusion for users is the complete overhaul of the Photos app interface. In previous versions of iOS, the "Albums" tab served as the clear destination for all your photo folders, including "Recents," "People," "Videos," and the crucial "Favorites" album, often tucked under the "Utilities" or "Media Types" section.

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In iOS 18, Apple eliminated the bottom navigation bar in favor of a single, continuous scrolling page. This new layout integrates your photo library with various curated "Collections" and "Utilities" in one place. Your old albums didn't disappear; they were simply reorganized into smart groupings and a new, customizable section called Pinned Collections. This new organizational structure is designed to put your most important content front and center, but it requires a slight adjustment to your muscle memory.

The Favorites album, being a user-defined collection, has been prioritized into this new Pinned Collections area. Understanding this shift is the first step to mastering the new iOS 18 Photos app layout.

Method 1: The Direct Pinned Collections Access (The Official Way)

This is the standard, official way Apple intends for you to find your most important collections, including the Favorites album. If you are looking for a comprehensive view of all your custom albums, this is the path to take.

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• Step 1: Open the Photos App. Launch the Photos application on your iPhone running iOS 18 or later.
• Step 2: Scroll Down to Pinned Collections. Scroll down past the main Library view and the various automatically generated collections (like "Recents," "Days," "People," etc.). You will eventually find a section clearly labeled "Pinned Collections."
• Step 3: Locate and Tap Favorites. Your "Favorites" album should be visible as one of the first tiles in this Pinned Collections section. Simply tap on the tile to view all your starred photos and videos.

If you don't see the Favorites album right away, it may have been unpinned or hidden during the update process. Proceed to the next section to learn how to restore it.

Method 2: Restoring the Favorites Album via 'Modify' (The Fix for 'Missing' Albums)

Many users report that their Favorites album is "missing" entirely after the update. This is usually because it has been unpinned from the Pinned Collections section. This method is essential for restoring the missing Favorites folder in iOS 18 and ensuring it stays in a prominent, easy-to-find location.

• Step 1: Navigate to Pinned Collections. Open the Photos app and scroll down until you reach the "Pinned Collections" section, as described in Method 1.
• Step 2: Tap the 'Modify' Button. In the top-right corner of the Pinned Collections section (or sometimes at the bottom of the section), you will find a small button labeled "Modify" or an ellipsis (...) icon that leads to a "Customize" option. Tap this button.
• Step 3: Pin the Favorites Album. A new screen will appear, showing a list of all available collections you can pin. Look for "Favorites." It will likely have a gray plus symbol (+) next to it. Tap the plus symbol (+).
• Step 4: Confirm Your Selection. The Favorites album will instantly move to your Pinned Collections section. Tap "Done" to save the change. Your album is now permanently restored to a highly visible location in the new iOS 18 Photos app.

This customization feature allows you to control which collections are pinned, including other key folders like "Screenshots," "Videos," and any custom albums you’ve created, giving you full control over the iOS 18 album organization.

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Advanced Access and Related iOS 18 Photo Entities

Beyond the primary location, the power of iOS 18 lies in its enhanced search and quick-access features. These methods are perfect for power users and anyone who wants to access their Favorites with minimal scrolling.

Method 3: Quick Access via Haptic Touch (The Fastest Shortcut)

If you're looking for the absolute fastest way to jump directly to your starred photos without even opening the app first, the Haptic Touch (or long-press) shortcut is the answer. This is a powerful, often-overlooked feature in the iOS 18 update.

• Step 1: Locate the Photos App Icon. Find the Photos app icon on your iPhone's Home Screen or in the App Library.
• Step 2: Long-Press the Icon. Press and hold your finger on the Photos app icon until a contextual menu pops up.
• Step 3: Select 'Favorites'. In the menu that appears, you will see options like "Recents," "Search," and—crucially—"Favorites." Tap this option, and the app will open directly to your Favorites collection, bypassing the main scrollable library view entirely.

This method is a game-changer for quick references and is a great way to circumvent the scrolling needed in the new unified interface.

Mastering iOS 18 Photo Organization: Key Entities and LSI Keywords

The new Photos app is built around a complex web of organizational entities. To achieve true topical authority and master the new system, it's helpful to know the terminology Apple is now using. Knowing these terms will make searching for photos and navigating the app much easier.

Here are some of the key entities and features you should be familiar with in the iOS 18 Photos app:

• Pinned Collections: The new home for your Favorites, Screenshots, Videos, and other manually selected albums.
• Collections: Automatically generated groupings of photos based on time, location, and content (e.g., "Days," "Trips," "People & Pets").
• Recents: The chronological view of all your photos, equivalent to the old "Library" tab.
• Utilities: Folders like "Hidden," "Recently Deleted," and "Imports," which are now found lower down in the unified scroll view.
• Media Types: Automatic folders for specific content, such as "Videos," "Selfies," "Live Photos," and "Bursts."
• Unified Scrollable Interface: The new, single-page design that replaced the four-tab navigation bar.
• Smart Collections: The AI-powered features that automatically group photos based on context and content, a major focus of the iOS 18 Photos app changes.
• Search Bar: Significantly enhanced in iOS 18 to allow for more natural language queries, making it a powerful tool for finding specific items if you can't locate the album.

The iOS 18 Photos app redesign is a significant adjustment, but once you understand the shift from tabs to the unified scroll and the importance of Pinned Collections, finding your Favorites album becomes a simple, two-second task. The key takeaway is to utilize the "Modify" option to customize your Pinned Collections and leverage the Haptic Touch shortcut for instant access.