1. Search Apple Photos by People & Faces

Apple Photos uses facial recognition to automatically identify people in your pictures.

•Set Up People: Go to the People album and name identified faces. If someone appears at different ages (baby vs. teenager), you can merge them under one name.

•Search by Name: Once names are assigned, just type the name into the search bar to instantly find all photos and videos of that person.

Tip: This is one of the fastest ways to organize family photos on your iPhone.

2. Search Apple Photos by Place & Location

If location services are enabled, Apple Photos tags your images with where they were taken—making it easy to revisit travel memories.

•Search by City or Landmark: Type in a location like “New York,” “Eiffel Tower,” or “Disneyland.”

•Browse Photos on a Map: Open the Places album to visually explore your photos by location.

Pro Tip: Don’t make my mistake. Years ago, I disabled location services after reading a clickbait article. Big regret! Now, several years of photos have no location data. Make sure yours are enabled:

Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera.

3. Search Apple Photos by Objects & Categories

Apple Photos can also recognize everyday objects, events, and scenery—without you tagging anything.

•Search for Objects: Type “dog,” “car,” “wine bottle,” “palm tree,” or “pumpkin” to see related photos.

•Explore Categories: Try broader terms like “sunset,” “concert,” or “food” to surface grouped results.

This feature is great for finding seasonal pictures (like “Christmas tree” or “Halloween”) fast.