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Everything We Think We Know About iOS 19

Apple Intelligence upgrades, a Camera app redesign, and more.
render of iOS 19 logo on a phone
Credit: jackpress/Shutterstock

iOS 19 is on its way. While Apple works on iOS 18.4, the company will almost certainly unveil the next big update for iPhones at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. As such, rumors about iOS 19's features have been coming in fast. Although none of these rumors can be confirmed at the moment, they still give us a good idea about what Apple might be considering behind the scenes. Since AI is the flavor of the month, Apple Intelligence improvements are expected for iOS 19, but the Camera app might also be getting some attention. Here's everything that's been leaked so far.

The merging of Siri and Apple Intelligence

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to merge Siri with Apple Intelligence sometime during the iOS 19 patch cycle. Yes, the assistant is currently listed as being part of Apple Intelligence, but behind the scenes, it supposedly has a new LLM in the works that would unify its currently split architecture and allow it to more frequently handle complex requests. As of now, its AI features are much more limited, and most of Siri doesn't use this type of AI at all.

Gurman says he expects the merger to be completed by spring of 2026 with the launch of iOS 19.4. His report states that, originally, Apple's plan was to launch a more conversational Siri in the same update, but that's been delayed and is not expected to be unveiled at WWDC 2025.

Gurman also indicates that because Apple has not yet completed last year's Apple Intelligence feature rollout, any unannounced features shouldn't be expected for a while.

A Camera app redesign

About a month ago, YouTuber FrontPageTech revealed a leaked redesign of the iPhone's Camera app. He claimed to have seen a video of the rumored redesign and recreated it for a video. The render primarily focuses on the control system. Instead of swiping left or right to switch between camera modes, this leak indicates that we may see just two options when we open the app—photos and videos. Swiping switches between them, while tapping reveals more options such as panorama or spatial videos. You can also see a slightly larger viewfinder in the render, but all of this should be taken with a pinch of salt. Even if the sources are credible and the information accurate (other leakers have doubted FrontPageTech before), a lot can change between now and release. Features get shifted around all the time during development, and you can expect some of that with iOS 19 as well. 

A fresh look for iOS 19

While iOS has changed considerably in recent years, the overall design language still follows the last big UI overhaul: 2013's iOS 7. It's been nearly 12 years since Apple has mixed things up, leaving users to design their own Lock Screens and app icons.

What do you think so far?

According to Gurman, however, that might change with iOS 19, as well as iPadOS 19 and macOS 16. The details are scarce, but Gurman reports sources within Apple say the company wants to better align the design languages across its various products, without merging those OSes entirely, while also simplifying the way you interact with these devices. That means iOS 19 could adopt the design of visionOS, which uses circles instead of squares for app icons, translucent window elements, and the adoption of 3D—though that latter element may be difficult to translate on a 2D display.

Hopefully we learn more about iOS 19's look as we get closer to WWDC. But if Gurman is correct, we could be looking at "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company’s history."

Your iPhone will (probably) run iOS 19

With no major UI redesign expected, there's no reason for Apple to axe more phones from the iOS 19 update lineup. Citing a source within Apple, French website iPhoneSoft.fr reports that any phone that runs iOS 18 should be compatible with iOS 19 as well. However, the iPad 7 will supposedly not be so lucky, as the website says it will not be included in the iPadOS 19 update.

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Jake Peterson
Senior Technology Editor

Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Senior Technology Editor. He has a BFA in Film & TV from NYU, where he specialized in writing. Jake has been helping people with their technology professionally since 2016, beginning as a technical specialist at New York’s 5th Avenue Apple Store, then as a writer for the website Gadget Hacks. In that time, he wrote and edited thousands of news and how-to articles about iPhones and Androids, including reporting on live demos from product launches from Samsung and Google. In 2021, he moved to Lifehacker and covers everything from the best uses of AI in your daily life to which MacBook to buy. His team covers all things tech, including smartphones, computers, game consoles, and subscriptions. He lives in Connecticut.

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Pranay Parab
Pranay Parab

Pranay Parab is an independent tech journalist based in Mumbai, India. He covers tech for Lifehacker, and specializes in tutorials and in-depth features.

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