Rumors about the latest iPhone seem to leak on a semi-regular basis, some of them proving true with a later launch, some proving pure speculation. But the latest leak seems to suggest that Apple could be re-designing the native camera app in iOS 19. If the tip is true, the experience of capturing photos on an iPhone could be about to change drastically.
The leak comes from an unnamed source that demonstrated the iOS 19 update to Front Page Tech. Like with most leaks, Apple has stayed silent on whether or not the leaked insight is true, which means the data should be treated as only as a possibility. The rumor calls for a Camera app that offers a minimalist user interface with fewer displayed settings, but makes some others, like video resolution, more accessible through submenus. The Front Page suggests the upgrade feels a bit like VisionOS and shared a theoretical glimpse of an iOS 19 with round app icons – which, based on the poor reception to Instagram’s diversion from the square grid, will probably be as well received as auditory flatulence in church.
But what the supposed change reminds me of isn’t VisionOS but another Apple feature that I think could change the Camera app for the better: Smart Stack. Apple’s Smart Stack displays whatever Widget you may need most. It uses data like location, time, and weather to populate the Widget space with data you’re most likely to need. For example, when it’s about to start raining, my iPhone displays a miniaturized weather app. Other times, it will show what calendar event is coming up, what restaurant is nearby, or, if it has no insight into what data I might need at the time, a memory from the camera roll.
The rumored iOS 19 camera update feels a bit like if Smart Widgets came to the Camera app, displaying different settings and using the current mode to display what settings you’ll probably need first. While I hate the re-learning process that comes with a design change that big, Smart Widgets are one of my favorite features on iOS 18. Why not apply the same concept to the Camera and bring up the settings that are most relevant to the shooting mode that you selected?
The downside is that the minimalist interface inside the leak displays fewer settings, so changes like turning RAW on and off may take more than the current one tap if I also have to open a menu to find it. That’s why I’m hoping the update operates more like a Smart Stack and automatically brings up the menu when the software thinks I’ll need it, like when changing shooting modes.
Of course, this is only a mix of speculation and wishful thinking. I have no idea if iOS 19 will customize the camera menus like Smart Stacks – or even if the next major iOS update will change the native camera app at all. But, I, for one, wouldn’t miss having to hunt for some features in the Settings app, so I’m game for more settings right in the Camera app. But, Apple, please don’t make things too difficult or time-consuming to find.
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