iOS 19: Apple's Focus on Refinement and AI Integration

iOS 19: New features, release date, more - 9to5Mac

Believe it or not, we're just three months away from the announcement of iOS 19. Ahead of that launch, rumors about new iOS 19 features, supported devices, and more have started to surface. Every year, one of the most important questions is which iPhone models will support the newest iOS update. As it turns out, there's good news across the board for iPhone users in 2025. According to the oft-reliable folks at iPhoneSoft, all devices that support iOS 18 will be able to update to iOS 19. That means the following devices will support iOS 19 this year: The key context, of course, is that not all features in iOS 19 will be available on all iPhone models. Some of the most power-hungry features, like Apple Intelligence, will be limited to only the newest iPhone models. According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on a fundamental revamp to how Siri works as part of iOS 19. Currently, Siri is split into two distinct systems under the hood. One system handles legacy commands, like timers and alarms, and a separate system handles more advanced commands. The latter system will also handle the new AI features coming as part of iOS 18, like personal context and in-app actions. As part of iOS 19, Apple is expected to merge these two systems. This should streamline performance and make Siri faster to respond to queries of all types. Apple has hit roadblocks in its plans for other major Siri changes with iOS 19. Bloomberg initially reported that Apple would ship a new version of Siri that was "conversational" and more like interacting with a human as part of the iOS 19 cycle. That upgrade, however, is running behind schedule and will not be announced at WWDC in June. Currently, iOS 18 offers ChatGPT integration as part of Siri and Apple Intelligence. However, Apple's goal with iOS 19 was to bring this functionality in-house and emphasize the privacy benefits of its platform compared to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman adds: "Everything I've heard suggests that iOS 19 will not include any significant consumer-facing changes to Apple Intelligence." Outside of Apple Intelligence and Siri, Apple reportedly plans to redesign the Camera app as part of iOS 19 this year. According to YouTuber Jon Prosser, the new Camera app will feature a design that "mirrors the design ethos from visionOS" with a focus on transparency. Apple has reportedly streamlined controls at the bottom of the interface into two toggles for "Photo" and "Video." Users can switch between various modes within each menu, adjust settings such as exposure, and more. At the top of the interface, users have quick access to controls for features like Live Photos and flash and settings for resolution and frame rate. Additionally, a dedicated button remains to access the user's photos library. Even as we approach the announcement of iOS 19 in June, Apple is still working to complete the rollout of features announced for iOS 18 last year. Some of the most impressive and powerful Apple Intelligence features announced for iOS 18 still haven't been released and aren't expected until iOS 18.4 in March. According to Bloomberg, Apple's work ongoing iOS 18 development means that a "larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19" have already been postponed until spring 2026. This is because Apple's engineers are still working on iOS 18 projects "when they'd usually already be on to the following OS." This means that iOS 19 might be missing a number of key features when it's released in September. The missing features would then be added gradually over the coming months as part of iOS 19.1, iOS 19.2, iOS 19.3, and iOS 19.4. iOS 19 will likely be announced at WWDC in June and will subsequently be available in beta testing with developers. A public beta for iOS 19 will likely be released in July, followed by a release to everyone in September. Do you have any features on your iOS 19 wishlist? Are you hoping that Apple continues to double down on Apple Intelligence, or would you rather see a focus on non-AI features? Let us know down in the comments. We'll keep this guide updated as more iOS 19 rumors emerge ahead of WWDC 2025.

Everything We Think We Know About iOS 19

With iOS 19 expected to be unveiled in June 2025 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), rumors about its 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's supposedly got 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 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 as yet 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. No major UI changes The FrontPageTech leak also suggests that Apple won't be making other major UI changes in iOS 19. With iOS 18's development not yet complete despite WWDC 2025 being right around the corner, I do have to agree that looks unlikely that big UI changes would follow so soon. 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.

iOS 19 -- all the rumors so far

iOS 19 won't arrive for a few more months from now, and even then, it will only be in preview form ahead of a full launch in the fall. But Apple's next major update to its iPhone software is already causing a stir, as big changes appear to be in the works. Recent software updates, like the current iOS 18 version, have certainly rolled out significant additions and improvements to the iPhone. But they've been pretty modest in scope, looking more to build on what was already available rather than revamp the look and feel of the operating system. That's apparently changing with iOS 19. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in a report on iOS 19 citing people close to the project, says this year's iPhone software update figures to be "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in [Apple's] history." There's no details specifically on what's changing with iOS 19. But based on reports from Gurman and other claims about iOS 19, we're getting a clearer picture of what Apple may be planning. Read on for a closer look at what we know about iOS 19 so far. As with other unannounced products, Apple hasn't uttered an official peep about iOS 19. However, the company's track record of software updates gives us a pretty good road map for guessing when the new operating system will be ready for your iPhone. Apple typically previews its planned software releases for the year at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), an annual get-together for app makers that usually takes place in June. After previewing software for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other products, Apple then releases developer betas for those updates. A few weeks later, public betas become available. Assuming Apple holds WWDC 2025 in early June, you'd expect an iOS 19 public beta to arrive by the end of the month or in early July at the latest. Apple would then would spend the summer updating that software based on feedback from beta testers. The full version of an iOS update usually appears just ahead of Apple's fall iPhone launch, which tends to take place in September. At any rate, we'd expect iOS 19 to be ready to install just ahead of this year's expected iPhone 17 launch. A new iOS version sometimes means the end of support for older iPhones. That happened with iOS 18, which cut off support for devices released in 2017 like the iPhone X and iPhone 8 models. However, at least one report from a French website contends that the same phones capable of running iOS 18 will be compatible with iOS 19. That would mean every iPhone from the iPhone XR and iPhone XS/XS Max onward, including any devices Apple releases in the fall. To put it another way, iPhones released in 2018 would still be able to run Apple's latest software update well into 2026, if this report is accurate. iPad owners apparently won't be as fortunate. iPadOS 19, which would offer many of the same changes as iOS 19, is tipped to drop support for the iPad 7 and the iPad Pro 2017. Even with support stretching back all the way to the iPhone XR, older phones may not be able to run all of the new features in iOS 19. That's typically of past iOS updates, with some features requiring specific chipsets in order to work. Based on Gurman's reporting, the most significant changes coming with iOS 19 involves the software interface. The changes will apparently introduce new looks for icons, menus, apps, windows and even buttons found in the operating system. One of the guiding ideas is apparently to make the iPhone easier to navigate. But the changes also seem to be motivated by a desire within Apple to offer a more unified experience across its different products. To that end, the interface and design changes reportedly draw on visionOS, the software powering Apple's Vision Pro headset, for inspiration. We have some idea of what this might look like thanks to Front Page Tech's John Prosser, who showed off a potential redesign of the iPhone's Camera app. In this redesign, the app features translucent menus for camera controls to leave more room for the view finder. You'd toggle between camera and video options, with each one bringing up different settings for things like aspect ratio, styles, exposure and so forth. Whether the changes described there happen to the Camera app or other parts of the iOS, it's clear Apple is planning a pretty significant overhaul. Gurman says iOS 19 will mark the most significant revamp to the iPhone's software since iOS 7's debut a dozen years ago. At this stage, it's unclear what that might mean for apps, whether it's new additions to the iPhone or new features for existing apps as part of the iOS 19 update. A report from last year claimed that Apple was postponing many iOS 19 features until later on. As Apple readies iOS 19 for a public preview, it's still in the process of rolling out Apple Intelligence features promised as part of the iOS 18 release. Some of those features are a part of the iOS 18.4 update, which is currently available as a beta ahead of a likely release in April. But some significant AI capabilities involving the Siri digital assistant are not among those coming changes. Apple is looking to infuse more intelligence into Siri, with plans to have the assistant better understand your personal context so that it could take more personalized actions. Siri is also supposed to add support in-app actions. However, Apple now says the Siri 2.0 launch has been delayed, with some changes apparently not coming until 2026. Context awareness appears to be in the plans for iOS 19, with Apple reportedly including its new LLM Siri in the forthcoming software update. That said, LLM Siri may not be part of the initial launch, with that featuring arriving in a subsequent iOS 19 update similar to how other Apple Intelligence features didn't arrive until after iOS 18's initial launch. We could be in for an even longer wait for a more conversational Siri. That feature's now being tipped for iOS 20. For what it's worth, Apple Intelligence does figure to play a significant role in iOS 19. Another Gurman report claims that more apps in the sotware update will take advantage of Apple Intelligence's smarts. Even with a lot of details still to come, iOS 19 sounds like it will be a big change from recent software updates, with Apple devoting a lot of focus on what its iPhone software looks like and how you'll interact with it. We'll see if the changes stop there or if iOS 19 brings additional updates to existing apps. And Apple Intelligence figures to be a major focus as Apple looks to make up lost ground in getting AI onto its devices. It's a tall order for any company, so expect more details about Apple's plans to emerge ahead of the iOS 19 preview later this summer.

iOS 19: What to Expect in the Next Big Update

Apple's iOS 19 is shaping up to be a pivotal release, but not necessarily in the way you might expect. Instead of focusing on flashy, headline-grabbing features, Apple appears to be adopting a more deliberate and practical approach. Reports indicate that the company is prioritizing system optimization, bug fixes, and addressing gaps in functionality compared to competitors. This strategic shift could resolve long-standing issues while introducing enhancements that improve your day-to-day experience with iOS devices. The video below from Simple Alpaca gives us more details on the iOS 19 update. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be a major area of focus for tech companies, and Apple is no exception. However, with iOS 19, the company seems to be taking a more measured approach by refining its existing AI capabilities rather than introducing dramatic overhauls. Siri, for instance, has often been criticized for lagging behind competitors like Google Assistant in areas such as contextual understanding and multitasking. Rather than promising sweeping changes, Apple appears to be concentrating on incremental improvements to make Siri more reliable and effective in practical scenarios. These refinements could include better voice recognition, improved responsiveness, and enhanced integration with other Apple services. While this approach may not deliver the new AI advancements some users might hope for, it could result in a more consistent and dependable experience for you, particularly in everyday interactions. One of the most anticipated features rumored for iOS 19 is split-screen multitasking, a functionality that would allow you to run two apps side by side. This feature, already available on iPads and many Android devices, could be especially beneficial for users of larger iPhone models. Tasks such as comparing documents, taking notes while browsing, or managing multiple apps simultaneously could become significantly more efficient. In addition to multitasking, iOS 19 is expected to introduce a variety of smaller but impactful updates aimed at enhancing usability. These updates may include: By focusing on practical features that cater to a wide range of users, Apple is positioning iOS 19 as a meaningful update that enhances the overall user experience across all compatible devices. System performance and stability are expected to be at the core of iOS 19. Recent iOS updates have faced criticism for introducing bugs and performance issues, particularly on older devices. With iOS 19, Apple seems determined to address these concerns by delivering a more polished and reliable operating system. Key improvements you can look forward to include: This focus on optimization could restore confidence in Apple's software quality and ensure that iOS 19 runs smoothly across a wide range of devices, from the latest models to older generations. Apple's decision to prioritize feature parity with competitors underscores its commitment to staying relevant in a highly competitive market. Features like split-screen multitasking and enhanced AI capabilities are already standard on many Android devices, and their absence on iPhones has been a source of frustration for some users. By addressing these gaps, Apple aims to meet user expectations while strengthening its position against rivals. Beyond individual features, Apple is also expected to enhance cross-device integration within its ecosystem. Improvements that make iPhones, iPads, and Macs work together more seamlessly could provide you with a more cohesive and intuitive experience. For example, better synchronization of apps, files, and notifications across devices could make transitioning between them more effortless. This focus on interoperability highlights Apple's broader strategy of creating a unified ecosystem that works harmoniously across all its products. The direction Apple appears to be taking with iOS 19 reflects a deliberate effort to balance innovation with practicality. While new advancements in AI and other technologies are exciting, they often come with challenges that can affect usability. By prioritizing system improvements and user-requested features, Apple is adopting a more measured approach that could yield immediate benefits for you. This strategy doesn't mean Apple is abandoning innovation altogether. Instead, the company seems to be addressing foundational issues first, laying the groundwork for more ambitious updates in the future. By focusing on system stability, practical enhancements, and feature parity, Apple is building a more robust operating system that could serve as a platform for fantastic advancements down the line. Whether you're looking for improved performance, enhanced multitasking capabilities, or better integration across devices, iOS 19 promises to deliver meaningful improvements that enhance your overall experience. This update represents a thoughtful evolution of the iOS platform, prioritizing the needs of its users while setting the stage for future innovation. Dive deeper into iOS 19 with other articles and guides we have written below.

Report: iOS 19 focused on bringing 'current' Apple Intelligence capabilities to new apps - 9to5Mac

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's upcoming iOS 19 release will focus more on expanding existing Apple Intelligence capabilities, rather than introducing brand new ones. Given the fact that the company is very behind on delivering on its iOS 18 Siri promises, this makes a lot of sense. Apple reportedly also postponed its plans to deliver a more conversational Siri in iOS 19, instead pushing that release to iOS 20. Outside of Siri features though, Gurman reports that iOS 19 won't have any major new AI features. Instead, we'll see more of what we have now, just spread across the ecosystem: The bad news is that Apple is unlikely to unveil groundbreaking new AI features at this coming WWDC. Instead, it will likely lay out plans for bringing current capabilities to more apps. It isn't quite clear what this means. Perhaps we'll see Apple bring their summarization features to more apps, or possibly even open up an API for developers. It's hard to say what expansion Apple could be planning, given the limited scope of its existing non-Siri features. Nonetheless, iOS 19 is looking to be more of a catch-up year for AI, rather than a huge stride forward. Apple is still planning to release the new 'LLM Siri' backend with iOS 19.4, though the conversational assistant is delayed. Additionally, Apple has delayed its iOS 18.4 Siri features to sometime 'in the coming year', which could possibly mean iOS 19.

Apple's iOS 19 Said to Bring Apple Intelligence Capabilities to More Apps

Apple initially planned to roll out the new Siri with iOS 18.4 in April iOS 19 is the purported next iteration of Apple's operating system (OS) for iPhone that is expected to be showcased at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 this summer. A major part of the update is likely to be Apple Intelligence -- the company's artificial intelligence (AI) suite -- which was unveiled at WWDC 2024 before being rolled out to iPhone models in September with iOS 18. However, a new report claims that iOS 19 may not bring any new Apple Intelligence capabilities, but simply expand it to cover more apps. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlighted that Apple is unlikely to unveil any new AI capabilities during its upcoming WWDC 2025. Instead, the Cupertino-based technology giant will focus on expanding the existing capabilities to include more apps. Although several Apple Intelligence features have made their way to the iPhone with iOS 18.1 and subsequent updates, a key feature is yet to see the light of day. At WWDC 2024, Apple advertised a more advanced version of Siri which would be able to tap into a user's personal data and see what's on their screen to provide contextual and personalised answers to queries. While the company did not reveal an exact date for its rollout, the feature was expected to be released with the iOS 18.4 update in April, but those plans have reportedly been delayed for the foreseeable future. Jacqueline Roy, a company spokesperson reportedly revealed to Daring Fireball that "It's going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year." Adding to the turmoil in Apple's AI division, Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at the company, along with other officials, reportedly voiced strong concerns internally regarding the Apple Intelligence features. Citing personal testing, they emphasised that the features didn't work properly or as advertised. Thus, Gurman suggests that people at Apple "believe that work on the features could be scrapped altogether" and they may have to be built "from scratch" again, potentially hinting at more delays. They aren't expected to be released at least until next year, as per the report.

iOS 19 may bring Apple Intelligence powers to more iPhone apps -- but without any big new features

Upgrades coming to iOS 19 have been hinted at by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, a regular and reliable leaker of upcoming Apple plans. Gurman claims that the focus of iOS 19 will be making use of Apple Intelligence in more apps, but we shouldn't expect fresh AI features or a major Siri upgrade. A whole new Siri was promised with the original version of Apple Intelligence as part of iOS 18, but other than some visual changes and a better understanding of speech commands, those changes originally promised for 2024/early 2025 by Apple are now confirmed to be significantly delayed. It now seems that those new Siri abilities like context awareness (being able to react to on-screen content) will be held back to iOS 19, with "LLM Siri" coming in a later iOS 19 version, and a "conversational" update coming instead to iOS 20, presumably launching next year. Unlike iOS 19, Gurman says that visionOS 3, the next generation of software for the Apple Vision Pro, will be "feature-packed." He makes no mention of what will be in this update though. Considering that visionOS 2.4, currently in beta, is already a substantial update, that could mean we'll see an especially large revamp for Apple's spatial computer headset. visionOS 2.4 adds Apple Intelligence features, a Spatial Gallery for viewing spatial photos and video, a better Guest mode for allowing other users to try the headset, and an iOS companion app. It will launch officially in April. iOS 19 and visionOS 3 should both debut at WWDC, Apple's big software conference and venue for many past OS announcements, later this year. Normally, WWDC takes place in early June. A new look for the Camera app's interface is the other big change rumored for iOS 19 so far. As for compatibility, it's believed that the iPhone XS and later will support the update, although only Apple Intelligence-ready iPhones will get access to all features.