iOS 14: Facebook Messenger: An "albums" link has disappeared with iOS 14

 iOS 14 with an iPhone 8

Facebook Messenger for iOS (version 282.0)

Date: 09/20/20

Description:

Here's a minor complaint about the Facebook Messenger app (version 282.0) and iOS 14. I immediately noticed this after updated to iOS 14 from 13.7.

The problem: You can no longer access the other albums from the camera roll. I can only seem to scroll through the "recent" album.

This is a bit perplexing, because for the last year, while using the Facebook Messenger app for iOS, I would scroll down from the recent photos until an "albums" option appeared in the upper right. 

How am I supposed to access this option now? Am I supposed to download photos from shared albums onto my phone so that they show up in "recents" album list?

This is very perplexing, and not a great user experience for me. Hopefully this can be fixed.

This is much easier to to show than to describe, so please take a look at the attached screenshots.

I've given the Facebook Messenger iOS app full access...

Where in the world did the "albums" link go to? How am I suppose to access other photos from different albums? Is that now prohibited?

As a point of comparison, here's Facebook Messenger running on an iPad Mini that's running 12.3.1. This is exactly what I was used to seeing until it disappeared with iOS 14:

I scroll down through the photo rolls and an "albums" link appears! This is what I expect to see!

Steps to Reproduce:

1. On an iPhone 8 running iOS 14, open the Messenger app

2. Select any friend 

3. Click on the gallery option to open photos 

4. Continually scroll down - note the lack of an "albums" link to access other photo albums

Result: An albums link has suddenly disappeared from the Facebook Messenger app for iOS with the latest iOS 14 update. There does not appear to be a way to access other albums to select a photo 

Expected: The "Albums" link should return! I used this link EVERY time I sent a photo using the Facebook Messenger app 

In addition - it looks as if I am not the only user who has encountered this problem with iOS 14 and the Facebook Messenger app. Here are some reviews from the App Store...

iOS 14: Springboard - Phone Locked - Camera Wont Activate if Selected Via Icon on Springboard

 iOS 14

Camera activation via Springboard UI with phone locked 

Date: 09/17/20

Description:

I believe that this is a brand new problem with iOS 14. I am not getting this to reproduce on older iOS versions such as 12.3.1. on an iPad Mini, but I haven't checked it against the previous 13.7.

You can access the camera if the device is locked using the camera icon from Springboard. The camera turns on (green light activates, and blurry image of camera is in background) but the UI of Springboard is overlaid on top of it.

Other apps, like the Calendar option, allow user access via Springboard without difficultly. 

I believe that this is a new problem - the current behavior doesn't make much sense as it drains the battery. The user is able to take photos with the Springboard UI overlaid on the screen.

This is much easier to show than to describe, so please see the attached screenshots. 

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Update iOS device to iOS 14

2. Lock phone

3. Swipe left for Springboard

4. Select the search box

5. From "Siri Suggestions" select the Camera option (Camera activates with UI on screen)

6. Select "Cancel" option next to search box

Result: The camera is not automatically accessible when selected via icon from the Springboard UI while the phone is locked. The camera activates in the background, with UI overlaid onscreen 

Expected: Not this. Should it enter the user into the camera - in the same way that the camera is accessible if the user swipes right from the locked home screen?

The iOS device is locked. Swipe over to activate the SpringBoard UI...

Select inside the search box at the top of the SpringBoard UI...

The camera has now activated in the background with the SpringBoard still present on screen. User can take photos using the volume controls on the phone...

Hard to see green (yellow? white?) dot in upper right is the only indication that the camera is currently active.