Pinch to zoom out, iPhone Photos app
Is anyone else having this problem, I can zoom out of the grid view of Library, but only so there's 5 on each row. I want to really zoom out so I can see more like a year at one go. If I go into Collections, then Media Types, I can zoom out, but that's restricting me, I'd like to do that in the whole of the Library.
Have they change this for some strange reason?
iPhone 16 Pro
My iPad is 26.2.1, and in Library view it does not allow more than 5 across when held vertically, and 9 across when held horizontally. That is really weird.
In Albums it behaves normally.
So weird.
Send feedback to Apple here:
Hi Richard,
I've just been speaking with Apple and that is now the expected look! So no zooming out for me! If you have all of your photos shown in grid form in the Library, you can't see more than 5 images per row.
Perhaps you're not on 26.2.1?
I wonder why they'd change it?!
Thanks, appreciate your time :)
It looks like you're using iOS 26-- what is the actual version number?
Have you tried a forced restart?
Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
This is different from a simple Power Off. I had to continue holding the button down past the "slide to power off" message, and then I released the button only after the Apple Logo appeared indicating a re-start.
slaterk wrote: … 26.2.1 ... is that what you mean? I had put that but only further down my reply :)
oops-- missed it. I have a 16 at 26.2 (with a message to go to 2.1)
Just did a force restart (had restarted before), and still no joy - will only let me zoom out to 5 pics per row
Drat! How about storage? At Settings>General>iPhone Storage, what does it say? For instance, mine says 59.64 GB of 128 GB used. Do you have at least 10% of your storage free?
Are you using iCloud Photos? Do you use Optimize Storage?
I have not heard of anyone having a similar issue…
Go ahead and let Apple know what you think at this site:
My 16 is now 26.2.1, and in ALBUMS I can do the two levels past 5 -- the ones for which the thumbnails are too small to see detail. But in LIBRARY I can only zoom out to 5. (also 7 horizontal.)
Curiouser and curiouser.
I don't want to downplay the weirdness of this new limitation, but I've got to say that I never use Library like that. I use Folders and albums to keep my pictures organized and easy to find. My pictures are organized like this:
Each year is a folder that has albums and folders inside. For earlier times, my year folders are inside decade folders. There's also a folder for folders with albums organized by topics like Music or Horses or Flowers or My Brother's Family, etc. So a picture of my niece riding a horse in 2019 might be in three different albums in three different folders. Putting a picture in several albums doesn't take up any more storage, and that organization makes it way easier to find the picture I want.
But it's still weird that we can't see more pictures at once in Library. Seeing more pictures in a window in the Library, with way more pictures, seems more important than in collections…
Same issue here. iOS 26.2.1 on iPhone 17 pro. No longer possible to zoom out in the library view down to the very small pictures showing per different years.
Why was this changed? The iPhone has a high resolution display, so this feature was always very useful to quickly zoom through photos from different years.
In 26.2.1 it now takes ages to find a photo from a certain year quickly.
Looks like a bug for me, introduced in iOS 26.2.1. Hope this gets fixed soon.
My iPhone Pro Max on 26.2.1 does not allow more than 5 across in Library view, in either orientation. Albums will go only to 5 (7 horizontal), Trips to many more. Strange.
In Library, in iOS 26, you can have 1 across, 3 across, 5 across, maybe 15 across (hard to count) or a zillion across, like this:
In the 15 across mode you see months. In the zillion across you see years. It lets you get to the year you want, and then you can expand to get the month, if you like, and then see the pictures. Of course, you can use the Years or Months views, but I don't really like those.
You didn't let us know what iOS you're using-- image is from iOS 26. Do you not get these views? What iOS are you on?
Hi Richard,
Thanks, but yeah I don't get any more than 5 across, see the screen grab - I can tap Zoom Out until I get 5 per row, but then once 5 pictures on the row has been achieved, the Zoom Out option disappears as below, leaving only Zoom In, and I can zoom out no further!
As per you, this is in the Library section, rather than the Collections section. ** unlike you, I don't have options saying years month or all.
I'm on 26.2.1
Hi Richard, yeah, 26.2.1 ... is that what you mean? I had put that but only further down my reply :)
Just did a force restart (had restarted before), and still no joy - will only let me zoom out to 5 pics per row
I have an iPhone 16 Pro & it is doing the same thing! I used to be able to zoom out and see the months and years and now I can’t zoom out to more than 5 across. It is driving me crazy.
With more than 25k photos, it is really annoying to not be able to zoom out and go by the year.
Pinch to zoom out, iPhone Photos app
