iOS 17 changed the way you access Photos from the Messages app—a change that has, unfortunately, slowed down the process of sending images and videos. As it turns out, however, you don't need to use the cumbersome default method. Instead, try this hack discovered by Reddit user Smiley-v2.
Send images quickly in iMessage
To quickly send photos and videos, don't press the (+), then hit the Photos. That's too slow. Instead, open the Messages app, tap and hold the + button, and keep it held until you see the photo gallery replace your keyboard. Select the images or videos you want to send, and fire them away in your iMessage chats.
Reorganize your iMessage app shortcuts
The Messages app in iOS 17 shows a few app shortcuts when you tap the + button in any of your chats. Only the top five shortcuts are shown here, however: You need to tap More to see the rest. The good news is that you can reorganize these shortcuts to prioritize the ones you actually use. Just tap and hold any of these shortcuts, and drag them up or down. If you drag them to the bottom, they go into the More section and are removed from the list of shortcuts that show up when you hit the + button. You can also open the More section and drag any of the apps there to the top.
Quickly delete unwanted iMessage apps
iOS 17 also has a neat settings page for you to remove iMessage apps you no longer use. This reduces the number of items that show up in Messages and allows you to retain only the ones you use. To trim this list, go to Settings > Messages > iMessage Apps. In the Only in Messages section, tap the red - button next to any app, and press Delete twice to remove it. Scroll down to the Included with an app section and flip the switches on the right to disable the iMessage apps you don't use.