With iOS 27’s developer beta, Apple is introducing a new photo rating system designed to help you finally sort through those batches of nearly identical shots cluttering your iPhone’s camera roll. Instead of endlessly comparing similar frames, you’ll be able to rate your photos from one to five stars-making it easier to spotlight the best pictures and declutter your library.
How to enable and use photo ratings in iOS 27
By default, the photo rating feature is turned off in the first iOS 27 developer beta. To activate it, open the Photos app, go to the Collections tab, tap your profile icon in the top right, scroll down, and toggle on ”Show Rating Controls.”
Once enabled, open any photo and you’ll see a star icon in the top right. Tap it to expand a menu where you can assign a rating from one to five stars.
The feature also supports bulk ratings. Select multiple photos, tap the three-dot menu, choose ”Ratings,” and assign stars to all selected images at once. This is handy for quickly sorting through large batches of pictures.
Although simple, this addition shows noticeable improvements in how you can organize your photo library on iPhone.
Filtering photos by star ratings in iOS 27
After rating your photos, you can filter your library based on those stars. Want to see only your top five-star shots? Open the Library tab, tap the Filter button in the top right, select ”Rating,” and choose your desired star level.
iOS will immediately show all photos marked with that rating, making it a breeze to isolate your favorites for editing, sharing, or archiving.
Benefits of the photo rating feature in iOS 27
At first glance, a 5-star rating system sounds like a minor upgrade. But anyone who has snapped dozens of near-duplicate images knows the struggle of picking the best one. The Photos app has long lacked native tools to efficiently separate the gems from the clutter.
This new feature bridges that gap. Users can now quickly rank their best shots directly on iPhone, filter them in seconds, and more easily decide which photos deserve editing or social media spotlight. It’s a simple addition with potential to streamline how iPhone photographers manage their photo libraries.
Compared to Android and competing platforms, which often rely on third-party apps for photo rating or curation tools, Apple’s native integration is a neat step toward better photo management. It complements existing sorting options like Favorites or Memories without adding complexity.
Going forward, watch for how Apple might expand this rating system. It could tie into smart album creation, machine learning curation, or deeper integration with editing workflows. For now, iOS 27’s photo rating is a modest but welcome enhancement for photo selection on iPhone.