- An iOS 19 leak suggests that the iPhone Camera app will get a major redesign
- Mock-ups based on the leak point to a simplified, Vision Pro-inspired look
- iOS 19 is expected to get a full launch in September
The iPhone’s camera app has been treated to a generous helping of new features over the past few years, from Photo Styles to Apple ProRaw. But one thing Apple forgot to do is organize them in a way that makes intuitive sense. Fortunately, a new iOS 19 leak suggests that it will finally fix that later this year.
iOS leaks are pretty rare, so I’m treating this new one with caution. But the source, YouTube channel Front Page Tech, isn’t known for outlandish, unsourced rumors. And speaking of its mockups (based on internal contacts at Apple), the channel says “I can say with 100% certainty that what I showed you is real”.
So what’s new? Well, if the iOS 19 leak is true, Apple will soon replace the confusing mess that is iOS 18’s cluttered camera UI with a cleaner, simplified look inspired by Apple Vision Pro.
To me, the Vision Pro impact is less interesting than the simple fact that Apple seems to have finally cleaned up the messy interface. Gone is the thumb-weary row of eight modes for photos and videos, with those lists instead hidden inside a simple photo and video toggle.
This means that some camera functions will be a little more out of sight – for example, did you know that the QuickTake function is located inside the shutter button for one-touch burst photos and video? But that’s definitely the direction the Camera app should be moving in. Hopefully, iOS 19 will also fix the arrow at the top of the app, which confusingly opens a sign of icons at the bottom of the screen. I bet a lot of people don’t even know these settings exist.
The Camera app’s cluttered top bar also appears to have received a welcome makeover, according to this iOS 19 leak. It looks like we’ll get a more obvious way to choose video specs like resolution and frame rates. Presumably Apple will still find a place for shortcuts to Action Mode and focal lengths, which appear to be missing from this mockup. But all in all, I’m all for the update – except for one thing…
The missing link
I’ve been hoping that iPhones might get a Pro photo mode for a few years now, but unfortunately there’s still no sign of one in these iOS 19 leaks. Apple has shown signs of moving in that direction with video, but only with separate apps like Final Cut Pro for iPad.
To be fair, Apple has added a lot of pro-friendly photo features to iOS, many of which are hidden in the Settings menu. I’ve collected a bunch of these tweaks in my guide on how to set up your iPhone 16 (or iOS 18 phone) to take great photos in 2025.
But a simple solution to hide the clutter of the camera app would be to have a toggle that switches it between ‘point-and-shoot’ and ‘Pro’ mode. The iOS 19 redesign looks like a solid point-and-shoot experience, but a Pro mode (perhaps mapped to the Action button) could quickly turn it into something like a Fujifilm X100VI by bringing out extra controls like manual focus or focusing.
That would be my ideal Camera app setup, effectively turning the iPhone into two cameras in one. But it’s possible that Apple is worried about “Sherlocking” some of the best camera apps like ProCamera, Halide or Camera Obscura, which could be seen as a faux pas considering that many have featured in their annual App Store Awards .
Still, even if Apple resists adding a full Pro mode to its Camera app, the update illustrated in this iOS 19 leak looks like a step in the right direction. And who knows, maybe it hints at a wider iOS update that would see it get its biggest visual makeover since iOS 7 back in 2013…
