Updated May 30
• Under the new OS, iPhones could show how long it will take to fully charge.
• Apple is considering changing the name of this update to iOS 26 to reflect the release year.
• The interface overhaul is apparently code-named Solarium.
• Apple could give developers the tools to introduce AI features to their own apps.
• The WWDC keynote officially takes place June 9.
The countdown to iOS 19 continues, with just over a week until the annual developers conference where Apple previews its software for the coming year. True, we won't get the full iOS 19 release until later in the fall, but WWDC 2025 on June 9 figures to give us our first official look at Apple's next major iPhone software update.
There could be plenty that's new about the iOS — including the name that Apple calls it. But the other big change figures to be a revamped look for Apple's mobile software, as part of an overall unified interface for all its different platforms.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in a report on the iOS update earlier this year that cited people close to the project, says this year's version of the iPhone software figures to be "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in [Apple's] history."
We've gotten more details on what's changing since then. Based on reports from Gurman and other claims about the new iOS, the picture that's emerging hints at a bold new look for the iPhone, along with an ongoing push to build out the phone's AI-powered tools.
Read on for a closer look at what we know about iOS 19 — or iOS 16 — so far.
iOS 19/iOS 26 cheat sheet: What to expect
- Apple should preview the next iOS at its WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9
- A public beta is expected a few weeks after the preview
- As part of a new approach to software names, iOS 19 could be called iOS 26, reflecting the release date year
- The iOS update could drop support for the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
- Apple is focusing on a redesign that unifies the interface across iPhones, iPads and Macs
- Delayed Siri features from iOS 18 could be part of this update
- Apple Intelligence additions could include a health coach feature and battery optimization tools
iOS 19 — or iOS 26
Since the earliest editions of its iPhone software, Apple has used version numbers to distinguish one release from another. The current version of the software available for iPhones is iOS 18, so naturally, the one being previewed June 9 at WWDC will be iOS 19. Right?
Maybe not? A new report claims Apple is considering a name change — not just for iOS, but all of its software. Under the new scheme, Apple would instead use the release date year for its iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro software updates. Or more accurately, it would use the year that follows the fall release of each software update, much like car model years reflect the upcoming year.
Should this switch come to pass, the 19th version of iOS wouldn't be iOS 19 after all — it would be iOS 26. Similarly, watchOS 12 would be watchOS 26, macOS 16 would be macOS 26 and so on.
The move is reportedly an attempt by Apple to unifying its naming convention, just like the rumored interface changes seek to make software experience more unified. (More on that in a minute.)
The iOS 26 report needs further corroboration before we accept it as fact. So for now, we'll continue to refer to the upcoming update as iOS 19 to avoid confusion.
iOS 19: Rumored release date
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. This year's event is taking place the week of June 9. After announcing the official dates back in March, Apple has confirmed that the WWDC 2025 keynote will take place on June 9 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST. That's when we'll get our iOS 19 sneak preview.
After that preview, you'd expect Apple to put out a developer beta during WWDC. A few weeks later, public betas become available.
With a June 9 WWDC 2025 start date, that would put the iOS 19 public beta on track for a release 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. (Our best guess at an iPhone 17 release date is September 9, based on how Apple's handled past phone launches.) At any rate, we'd expect iOS 19 to be ready to install just ahead of this year's expected iPhone 17 launch.
iOS 19: Supported devices
A new iOS version often 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.
One early report claimed 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.
However, multiple reports since then suggest that the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR won't get support for the coming update. The latest claim comes from a private account on X, which has the 2018 iPhone models left off the supported devices list. And this same account was reportedly right about iOS 18 compatibility a year ago.
Regardless of how far support stretches back, 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.
iOS 19: Rumored changes
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.
For what it's worth, the code-name on this interface overhaul is reportedly 'Solarium' — a type of sunroom where the walls are made out of glass. If we were to guess, that's apparently a reference to the translucent look that's rumored for the new operating system menus.
To that end, e 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.
Additional iOS 19 images shared by Prosser depict a more minor visual overhaul to parts of iOS 19 featuring a floating design for interface elements like pop-ups, menus and the keyboard.
Other Prosser posts have show off rounded icons and a pill-shaped tab bar that shows up in apps like the App Store, Apple Music and Apple TV. It's smaller than the current version that takes up much of the bottom of the iPhone screen, and it apparently features new animations.
Additionally, the search bar on your iPhone could migrate from the top of the screen to the bottom in iOS 19. The search bar would also remain visible at a times, according to this report.
For what it's worth, Gurman has countered that the iOS 19 image mocks-ups "aren't representative of what we'll see at WWDC." He's also claimed that a lot of the leaks seems to be based on older builds of the software.
Instead, Gurman has been predicting a pretty significant overhaul for IOS 19 — potentially 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.
At least one new feature could make the grade, according to leaker Majin Bu — a new desktop mode for the iPhone. According to this rumor, this wouldn't be the iPhone's version of Samsung's DeX feature, which lets you use your phone as a potable PC. Rather, the iPhone's desktop mode would let you connect the phone to an external display via the USB-C port, giving you a larger working area.
The everyday tedium of joining public Wi-Fi could be made easier by iOS 19 too. It'll supposedly introduce a system that lets you sign in once and then share those details with your other Apple products.
As important as the actual features we'll get in iOS 19 are what it'll lead to in the future. Another report from Mark Gurman claims that Apple's getting ready for foldable devices and other new hardware with this big redesign, so we could see the rumored iPhone Flip finally appear thanks to the groundwork Apple's supposedly doing with iOS 19. Other snippets of iOS 19 code apparently hint at a feature that will make it easier to transfer eSIMs to other phones — including Android devices.
iOS 19 and Apple Intelligence
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. 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 software update will take advantage of Apple Intelligence's smarts. What's more, Apple is said to be releasing developer tools that will let app makers incorporate AI capabilities into their software.
Health tracking might be a major focus of iOS 19's AI features. Gurman reports that Apple is working on AI health coaching features that will use the data gathered by Apple Watches and other connected devices to formulate personalized recommendations on ways to improve your health. The Health app in iOS 19 could also gain food-tracking capabilities.
Battery health could be just as critical as user health, as Apple could be using AI to improve iPhone battery life, as well as predict charging times. Specifically, under the new version of iOS, your phone will display how long it will be before it reaches a full charge. These are already features found on Android phones, so we're exicted to see Apple finally catch up.
iOS 19 outlook
Even with more details likely to emerge in the remaining days ahead of WWDC 2025, iOS 19 sounds like it will be a big change from recent software updates, as Apple devotes a lot of focus on what its iPhone software looks like and how you'll interact with it. (Not to mention what we'll be calling iOS going forward.) 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.
Stay tuned for additional updates regarding iOS 19 and all the changes Apple is planning for its iPhones.
