- An iOS 19 leak suggests the iPhone Camera app will get a big 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 Photographic 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 it’ll finally be rectifying that later this year.
iOS leaks are quite rare, so I’m treating this new one with caution. But the source, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, isn’t known for outlandish, unsourced rumors. And talking about its mockups (based on inside contacts at Apple), the channel says “I can say with 100% certainty that what I showed you is real”.
So what exactly is new? Well, if the iOS 19 leak is true, Apple will soon be replacing the confusing mess that is iOS 18’s cluttered Camera UI with a cleaner, simplified look that’s inspired by the Apple Vision Pro.
For me, the Vision Pro influence is less interesting than the simple fact that Apple appears to have finally tidied up the cluttered interface. Gone is the thumb-tiring row of eight modes for photos and videos, with those lists instead hidden inside a simple photo and video toggle.
This does mean that some camera features will be a little more out-of-sight – for example, did you know that the QuickTake feature lives inside the shutter button for one-touch burst shots and video? But that’s definitely the direction the Camera app needs to move in. Hopefully, iOS 19 also fixes the arrow at the top of the app, which confusingly opens a draw of icons at the bottom of the screen. I’d wager that a lot people don’t even know those settings exist.
The Camera app’s cluttered top bar also seems to have been given a welcome makeover, according to this iOS 19 leak. It seems we’ll be getting a more obvious way to choose video specs like resolution and frame-rates. Presumably Apple will be still find somewhere for shortcuts to Action Mode and focal lengths, which seem to be missing from this mockup. But overall, I’m fully onboard with the refresh – apart from one thing…
The missing link
I’ve been hoping that iPhones might get a Pro photo mode for a few years now, but there’s unfortunately 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 its Settings menu. I’ve rounded up a lot of those tweaks in my guide on how to set up your iPhone 16 (or iOS 18 phone) to take great photos in 2025.
But one simple solution to hiding the Camera app’s clutter would be to have a toggle that flips 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 up extra controls like manual focus or focus peaking.
That would be my ideal Camera app setup, effectively making the iPhone two cameras in one. But it’s possible that Apple is concerned about ‘Sherlocking’ some of the best camera apps like ProCamera, Halide or Camera Obscura, which could be seen as a faux pas considering many have starred in its annual App Store Awards.
Still, even if Apple resists adding a full Pro mode to its Camera app, the refresh illustrated in this iOS 19 leak looks like a step in the right direction. And who knows, maybe it does hint at a wider iOS refresh that would see it get its biggest visual makeover since iOS 7 back in 2013…
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mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson)
