- Apple has just announced a new iOS 26 -Software update for iPhones
- One of the big changes is a redesign of Apple’s camera -App
- New streamlined photo and video states to make it easier to use
IPhone’s camera app has been treated for a generous help with new features in the last few years, from photographic styles to Apple Proraw. But one thing Apple has failed to do is organize all these features in a way that makes any real intuitive meaning – so far thanks to iOS 26.
Instead of having a confusing row of eight features over the shutter button, which I often find myself accidentally that I accidentally rolls, Apple cuts the preliminary menu down to two things – photo and video.
Apple says this is done this because they are of course the two most commonly used camera states and that Spring Clean has been long. When you are in one of these two modes, you just iron left or right to reveal the related modes inside them.
In video mode, swiping brings e.g. Both SLO-MO and cinematic mode-it are convenient because ‘cinematic’ could be interpreted as a video or still state, but actually refers to Apple’s calculation bokeh under video.
Maybe even better, swiping up an ‘floating glass’ stilmenu (above) reveals much clearer than the current confusing mess of arkane icons. Now you get names along with these conditions, such as styles (for photographic styles) and aspect of aspect relationship. It all looks like a small but very welcome improvement.
Finally, Apple has also tied the video image speed and resolution. On iOS 18, they sit in the upper right corner of the app and you will not get a drop -down menu to see the possibilities of cycling. But in iOS 26, a new frosted glass pane shows you all frame speed settings for each resolution.
It’s an improvement, but where is Pro mode?
This iOS 26 update to the camera app means that some features are a little more out of sight than before, but that’s fine for me. It felt more and more messy and messy, with Apple slowly added features to a interface that was not designed to house so many options.
But there is still a thing missing for me. I have hoped that iPhones may get a pro photo mode for a few years now, but unfortunately there is still no evidence of one in iOS 26. 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 its setting menu. I have rounded off a lot of these adjustments in my guide to how to create your iPhone 16 to take amazing photos in 2025.
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But another simple solution to hide the root of the camera app would be to have another shift that tilts it between ‘point-and-shoot’ and ‘pro’ modes. IOS 26-Redesign looks like a solid point-and-shoot experience, but a pro mode (maybe mapped to the action button) could quickly turn it into something like a Fujifilm X100VI by bringing extra controls, such as manual focus or focus on the top.
That would be my ideal camera app setup, which effectively makes iPhone two cameras in one. But it is possible that Apple is concerned about ‘sherlocking’ some of the best camera apps such as the Procamer, Halid or Camera Obscura, which could be seen as a faux passport that many of these have contributing in its annual App Store Awards.
(Sherlocking is the Word of the Apple Society when a popular app is killed by Apple, offering the same functionality built into its software, named after a tool called Sherlock, darkened by the MAC’s Spotlight feature.)
Although Apple doesn’t have a Pro mode for its camera -app this time, its iOS 26 -makeover is still a welcome makeover to do to taking pictures on iPhones compatible with the new OS for a more fun (and less stressful) experience.
