You can quickly turn the chaotic “All Photos” grid on your iPhone into a clean, focused gallery by using the built‑in sort and filter tools in the Photos app.

Open the right view

• Open the Photos app and go to the Library tab, then make sure you are in the “All Photos” view for a full, scrollable grid of everything on your device and in iCloud.
• This is where Apple’s new sort and filter controls in iOS 26 live, and where changes you make will affect how your entire library is displayed.

Use filters to narrow things down

• Tap the Sort and Filter button at the top of the library, then tap Filter to see options like Favorites, Edited, and Not in an Album.
• You can combine filters, for example, choosing Favorites plus Not in an Album to quickly surface your best shots that you haven’t organized yet, which is perfect before building new albums.

Clear filters when you’re done

• When your view feels too narrow or you’re finished organizing, tap Filter again and choose Remove Filters so the library returns to showing every photo and video.
• Think of filters as temporary “lenses” on the same library; they do not delete or move files, they only change what you see.

Change how your photos are sorted

• Still in the Library tab, tap Sort and Filter and then Sort by to change the order from the classic “date captured” timeline to Recently Added.
• With “Recently Added,” new imports, Airdrops, edits, and downloads float to the top, which is especially handy if you often bring in photos from other devices or services and want to find them instantly.

Practical tips for everyday use

• Use the Favorites + Not in an Album combo as a weekly cleanup routine: star good photos as you take them, then filter and drop them into albums like Trips, Family, or Work later.
• Remember that filters reset when you remove them and sorting can be switched back at any time, so it is safe to experiment until the Photos app feels tailored to how you actually browse your memories.