Apple made a really annoying change to the main way you send photos to people in iOS 12 (AAPL)

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Apple has changed the way people send photos through the Messages app in iOS 12.
Whereas in iOS 11, where users only need to click the camera icon in Messages to summon their Camera Roll, iOS 12 will force users to click the App Store button in Messages, and then the Photos button, every time they want to share a photo from their phone.
Though Apple is likely trying to encourage more people to download Messages-specific apps, moving the Camera Roll like this is an extra and unnecessary step that does not feel at all intuitive.

Apple made a really annoying change to the way you send photos to people in iOS 12.

Currently, in iOS 11, clicking the camera icon next to the Messages field lets you either take a picture, or select a photo from your Camera Roll, as you can see below:

ios 11 messages photos

In iOS 12, clicking the camera icon only lets you take a picture. To get to your Camera Roll, you need to visit the App Store icon next to the Messages field, and then select the Photos icon.

It's an extra, unnecessary step for users.

The tweet below shows how sharing photos will work in iOS 12:

iOS 12: How to access Photos in the Messages app - https://t.co/etLIdADetK #Tech pic.twitter.com/cSNQN5fgvk
— Techristic (@techristic) July 6, 2018

People who have already accessed the feature using a beta version of iOS 12 do not seem happy about the change:

iOS 10: Here are iMessage apps!

iOS 11: OK, we redesigned the Messages App Strip. Please use those iMessage apps now!

iOS 12: Fine, we tried asking nicely. Now if you want to insert a photo, you'll HAVE to use an iMessage app. Also, we put that damn strip on the keyboard.
— Josh Centers (@jcenters) July 6, 2018

The only annoying thing about iOS 12 so far: making adding photos in Messages a smaller separate button in the bottom row instead of part of the main camera button where it used to be.
— Bjorn Larsen (@bjorn) July 8, 2018

Not fixed in iOS 12 beta 3: Tapping the Camera icon in Messages still opens up the effects camera with no access to already captured photos. The most annoying change in iOS 12.
— Juli Clover (@julipuli) July 3, 2018

The only plausible excuse for the move of the Camera Roll in iOS 12 is to encourage more users to visit the App Store for Messages, where you can buy and download features for your Messages like stickers, emoji, and special effects.

Since so many people use the Camera Roll when using the Messages app — I know I do — Apple probably figured that would be the best way to expose users to the App Store for Messages.

But moving the Camera Roll to the App Store, and adding that extra step, doesn't feel intuitive at all. One would think clicking the camera icon would bring up the camera-related functions.

Hopefully Apple rolls back this change by the time iOS 12 is released to the public later this year.

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