Apple's iOS 27 introduces "Captured by Me" feature for personal photos

Apple has added a “Captured by Me” view to the Photos app in iOS 27, giving iPhone users a dedicated camera‑roll‑style folder that automatically gathers every photo and video they have taken. The feature launches with the public beta of iOS 27, scheduled for release later this fall, and appears as a new tab at the bottom of the Photos interface. It pulls together images shot with the device’s cameras, screenshots, and screen recordings, letting users scroll through their personal captures without sifting through shared albums, memories, or other categories.

The change comes after years of user complaints that Apple’s Photos app lacks a simple, unified view of a device’s own media. Since the original iPhone launch, Apple has relied on “All Photos” and “Recents” to show recent items, but those sections also include media imported from other sources, making it hard to isolate just what the user has personally captured. Competitors such as Google Photos and Samsung’s Gallery have long offered a clear “Camera” album, and third‑party apps have filled the gap with custom camera roll tools. In recent iOS releases, Apple introduced features like Shared Albums and Memories, but the absence of a dedicated personal roll grew louder as users stored more content on iCloud and relied on the Photos app for everyday browsing.

Apple says “Captured by Me” will sync across devices via iCloud, keeping the view consistent on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The new tab also supports editing shortcuts, live photo playback, and quick sharing options, mirroring the functionality of existing albums. Analysts expect the feature to improve user satisfaction and reduce churn to alternative photo managers. Developers will need to update any integrations that reference the old album structure, but Apple’s API already exposes the new collection. As iOS 27 rolls out, the company will monitor usage metrics and may expand the feature with smart filters or AI‑powered tagging in future updates.