Many iPhone users enjoy the Memories and Featured Photos widgets, showcasing cherished moments on their home screen. However, Apple currently doesn’t offer a direct way to manually choose which photos appear in these widgets. While you can’t directly select specific images, there are a few indirect methods to influence the photos shown.
Understanding the Featured Photos Algorithm
Apple’s algorithm for selecting Featured Photos remains undisclosed. However, it seems to prioritize recent photos, high-quality images, and pictures with faces. It also appears to favor photos taken at significant locations or during special events. While we can’t control the algorithm directly, understanding its tendencies can help us indirectly influence its choices.
Indirectly Influencing Featured Photos
While there’s no official way to handpick featured photos, these strategies can help:
1. Curate Your Photo Library
- Delete Unwanted Photos: Removing blurry, duplicate, or unappealing pictures from your library reduces the pool of images the algorithm can choose from, increasing the likelihood of your preferred photos being featured. This is particularly helpful for removing screenshots or work-related photos you’d rather not see on your home screen.
- Organize Photos into Albums: While the algorithm doesn’t directly select from albums, organizing photos into themed collections can indirectly influence its choices. For example, grouping your favorite vacation photos into a dedicated album might increase their chances of being featured together.
2. Utilize the “Favorites” Album
Adding photos to your Favorites album signals their importance to you. While not a guaranteed method, it might subtly influence the algorithm to feature these images more frequently. Consider adding photos you want featured to your Favorites.
3. Engage with the “For You” Tab
Interacting with the “For You” tab in the Photos app by liking or sharing Memories might provide feedback to the algorithm, potentially influencing future featured photo selections. Regularly engaging with this tab could help shape the algorithm’s understanding of your preferences.
Removing Photos from the “Featured” Album
It’s important to note that deleting photos from the “Featured” album permanently removes them from your entire photo library. If you only want to remove a photo from the Featured section without deleting it entirely, you should use the “Remove from Featured” option (available with a Haptic Touch or long-press on the image within the For You tab). This will prevent the photo from appearing in the Featured section without permanently deleting it. 
Removing a photo from the Featured Photos Album on iPhone.
Submitting Feedback to Apple
While the current methods for influencing Featured Photos are indirect, voicing your desire for more control directly to Apple can make a difference. Submitting feedback through Apple’s official channels allows you to express your need for a feature that lets users manually curate their Featured Photos. Consider submitting your feedback to Apple to potentially influence future updates.
Conclusion
While direct control over Featured Photos remains elusive, these indirect methods can help shape the photos displayed on your iPhone’s home screen. Remember to curate your library, utilize the Favorites album, engage with the “For You” tab, and provide feedback to Apple. By understanding the current system and advocating for improvements, you can increase the chances of seeing your cherished memories featured prominently.
