iOS 27 leak reveals Apple’s biggest Camera app shake-up in years

There are two kinds of iPhone photographers: the ones who point, tap, and move on, and the ones who spend 15 seconds trying to find exposure controls while the perfect sunset disappears in front of them.

If the latest reports are accurate, Apple may finally be building iOS for the second group.

According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing one of the biggest redesigns of the iPhone Camera app in years as part of iOS 27. The update could introduce a fully customisable camera interface, smarter AI-powered Siri features, and sweeping visual changes across several core iPhone apps.

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The bigger message behind these changes is becoming increasingly clear: Apple wants the iPhone to feel less rigid, less “one-size-fits-all”, and a lot more personal.

Your Camera app may finally work your way

For years, the iPhone Camera app has walked a careful line between simplicity and control. Casual users loved its clean design, but power users often complained that useful tools were buried behind taps, swipes, or menus.

That may be about to change.

The report claims iOS 27 will let users customise which camera controls appear on-screen and where they sit. Flash, timer, exposure, resolution, depth controls and other settings may become movable interface elements rather than fixed buttons dictated by Apple’s layout choices.

In practice, that means photographers and creators could build a camera setup around how they actually shoot. Someone who constantly adjusts exposure might keep that control front and centre, while another user may prioritise timer shortcuts or manual depth effects.

Apple reportedly refers to these mini controls as “widgets”, though they are different from the widgets used on the iPhone’s Home Screen. Each camera mode, such as Photo or Video, could also feature its own tailored control layout.

The Camera app itself may become visually cleaner too. Bloomberg says Apple is moving the button that reveals additional controls closer to the shutter key, potentially making one-handed shooting much easier.

And then there is Siri.

Siri may stop feeling like Siri

Apple has spent years promising a smarter Siri. iOS 27 could be where those promises finally begin turning into reality.

The report suggests Apple is rebuilding Siri into something closer to a persistent AI assistant rather than a voice tool that answers basic questions. Siri may reportedly support longer text conversations, understand personal context more deeply, and perform actions across apps with fewer prompts.

One of the more interesting additions could arrive directly inside the Camera app. Apple is reportedly exploring a Siri-powered Visual Intelligence mode that can analyse what the camera sees in real time. Think object recognition, live translations, contextual information, and possibly even shopping or travel assistance through the camera viewfinder itself.

The assistant’s interface may also evolve dramatically. Siri could partly live inside the Dynamic Island, expanding into animated interactions at the top of the display. A new universal “Search or Ask” bar may combine web search, Siri commands, and third-party AI services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini into one place.

Elsewhere, Apple is reportedly redesigning apps including Safari, Weather, Music, Podcasts and Health, while even the keyboard and Home Screen customisation tools may get subtle upgrades.

None of this is official yet, but with WWDC 2026 just weeks away, Apple’s next software update is starting to sound less like a routine refresh and more like a rethink of how the iPhone should behave in the AI era.