CUPERTINO, California, Jan 19, 2026, 07:34 PST
- iOS 26 Photos can recognise concert and sports images and surface event pages via a ticket-style icon
- Apple says concert pages in Photos can link to Apple Music playlists and upcoming shows
- The feature sits inside Photos’ Info view, where users already check date, location and other photo details
Apple’s Photos app in iOS 26 can recognise when users took pictures at concerts and sports games and surface event details — including set lists and scores — through a ticket-shaped button, Apple-focused site 9to5Mac reported on Sunday. The outlet said matched photos show a ticket icon instead of the usual info button, and that “Memories” — Apple’s auto-made photo collections — can take the event name. (9to5Mac)
Apple is pitching the concert version as a way for fans to relive shows and jump back into Apple Music without leaving Photos. In guidance for artists, Apple said concert photos and videos display a ticket icon that opens a concert event page with event details, playlists and upcoming shows; it added that concert dates are provided by Bandsintown or Ticketmaster. (Apple Music for Artists)
It comes as Apple reshapes core iPhone apps in iOS 26 and tries to keep users inside its own services as smartphone software gets more crowded. “iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, said when Apple previewed the update. (Apple)
In its Photos documentation, Apple says the app can recognise photos taken at concerts and sports events and pull up details of the show or game from the Info window. That can include top songs from the artist or tour in Apple Music, the final score and a list of upcoming events. (Apple Support)
On iPhone, users get to that view by swiping up on a photo or tapping the Info button, Apple’s user guide says. The panel already shows metadata — basic stored details such as date, time, location and camera settings — and it can also show event information for images taken at concerts or sporting events. (Apple Support)
Apple also lets users search their photo library by events, including “sports games or concerts,” alongside dates, places and business names, according to its iPhone guide. (Apple Support)
Rivals such as Alphabet’s Google Photos have spent years pushing automated grouping and search. Apple’s move leans harder into event pages and service links inside Photos, rather than sending users out to separate music or sports apps.
Still, the feature may be uneven. Reviewer Federico Viticci wrote at MacStories that Apple has not explained what event database Photos draws from, and that smaller concerts he attended in earlier versions were not always recognised; Apple also warns that some iOS 26 features vary by region and iPhone model. (MacStories)
U.S. stock markets were closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, limiting immediate trading reaction in Apple shares. (Nyse)
