u/Bitter-Humor-7419

I’ve been working on a camera-based app and ran into a UX problem I’d love to get some thoughts on.

There’s an optional feature in the app where photos can be saved both to the app itself and to the system photo library (Photos).

The idea is:

– users can keep using their normal workflows (sharing, editing, etc.) through the Photos app

– while also having a separate, organized space inside the app for specific use cases (e.g. work-related photos)

In practice, this means temporarily relying on the system photo library as a bridge so other apps can access those images.

Later on, the app can also manage or clean up those same images from the system library.

Technically, this works well.

But the UX challenge is this:

The value of the feature is clear once explained, but the explanation itself is long and not obvious.

Most users don’t even realize the feature exists, or don’t fully understand why photos are saved in two places and how they’re managed afterward.

As a result:

– the feature goes unused

– or it’s not used in the intended way

So the question is:

How do you surface a feature like this — one that requires explanation — without making the UX feel heavy or complex?

– Do you explain it upfront (onboarding)?

– Let users discover it gradually?

– Or hide the complexity and simplify the model entirely?

Would love to hear how others have approached similar problems.