iOS 19: What to Expect from Apple’s Next Big Update

Even though iOS 19 is still a few months away from its official announcement, the rumor mill is already buzzing with exciting updates and features. Here’s a breakdown of what we might see in Apple’s next big iOS update:

Redesigned Camera App

One of the most talked-about updates is a completely redesigned Camera app. Earlier this year, Jon Prosser shared a video on his YouTube channel, Front Page Tech, showing off what the new app might look like.

The biggest change? Translucent menus for camera controls that resemble the visionOS design from Apple’s Vision Pro headset. This updated design allows for a larger viewfinder and splits camera controls into Photo and Video categories at the bottom of the screen.

New features include options for recording spatial video, setting photo timers, and more. Video resolution and frame rate controls also appear at the top of the screen when needed.

It’s unclear if this visionOS-inspired design will expand to other parts of the iOS 19 interface or other built-in apps, but it’s definitely something to watch for.

A Smarter, More Conversational Siri

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Siri is about to get a major upgrade in iOS 19. Powered by more advanced large language models, Siri will become more conversational—similar to ChatGPT—and capable of handling more complex requests.

While Apple is expected to showcase these Siri enhancements during the iOS 19 announcement, the feature might not roll out until spring 2026, likely as part of iOS 19.4.

In the meantime, iOS 18.2 has already introduced ChatGPT integration with Siri, and Google Gemini integration is expected in a future update. Siri will also gain features like on-screen awareness, personalized context understanding, and deeper app controls in upcoming iOS 18 updates.

Features Rolling Out in Phases

As with previous iOS updates, many iOS 19 features will likely be introduced gradually through updates from iOS 19.1 to iOS 19.4. This staggered release approach ensures Apple can refine and optimize features over time.

iPhone Compatibility

Good news for iPhone owners: if your device runs iOS 18, it will likely support iOS 19 as well. According to a report from iPhoneSoft.fr, compatible models include:

• iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR
• iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

The oldest models on this list—iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR—were released back in 2018. However, keep in mind that some iOS 19 features may not be available on older devices.

If these reports are accurate, this would be the second consecutive year that Apple hasn’t dropped support for any iPhones with a major iOS update. For comparison, iOS 17 ended support for the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X.

When to Expect iOS 19

The first iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 developer betas are expected to debut during WWDC in June 2025. The official release of iOS 19 will likely follow in September.