iOS 26 Photos folders can’t be opened anymore

In iOS 26 Photos, folders no longer behave like folders. You can still create folders and put albums into them, but you can’t open a folder and browse the albums inside. That breaks basic folder → album navigation and makes large curated libraries a mess.

Repro steps

1.	Open Photos on iOS 26

2.	Go to Albums

3.	Tap + → create a Folder (or use an existing folder)

4.	Create/move one or more Albums into that folder

5.	Return to Albums and tap the Folder

Expected: Folder opens and shows contained albums

Actual: No drill-down view / can’t browse albums inside the folder

Search and “smart” organization are not a replacement for intentional hierarchy. If this is intentional, the folder UI is misleading; if it’s a bug, it’s a major one.

This has been extremely damaging to the photographer community as well as to those with tens of thousands of pictures who want to organize them. It was also an extremely unnecessary change that regressed your landscape rather than enhance it. Do something!