Apple's iPhone Camera app is getting a professional-grade overhaul in iOS 27, says Bloomberg

At a glance:

• Apple's default iPhone Camera app is being revamped with customizable, professional-grade widgets in iOS 27, according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
• A new "Siri mode" will appear alongside existing photo and video toggles, enabling on-device capabilities like real-time text translation and object identification through the camera lens.
• The changes are expected to debut at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on June 8, alongside a long-delayed overhaul of Siri.

What the revamped Camera app looks like

Apple's Camera app is poised to become a far more modular experience. According to Gurman — whose reporting relies on anonymous sources — the app will support customizable widgets, essentially sub-applets that attach to the top of the camera interface. These widgets will give photographers quick access to advanced controls without leaving the viewfinder.

Users will be able to open an "Add Widgets" tray by swiping up from the bottom of the interface. From there, they can add, remove, or rearrange widgets to suit their shooting style. For still photography, widgets will cover functions such as exposure adjustment and depth-of-field control. Gurman also describes what he calls euphemistic "difficulty settings" for widgets, labeled "basic," "manual," and "settings" — suggesting Apple is layering accessibility on top of pro-level capability.

A redesigned control layout

The familiar Controls button — the row of quick-access app icons currently tucked in the top-right corner of the Camera app — is being relocated to just to the right of the shutter button. This is a notable ergonomic change. Since the iPhone 16 introduced a dedicated physical Action button that can launch the camera directly, Apple has been steadily building out a more tactile, pro-oriented camera workflow. Moving the Controls cluster closer to the shutter reinforces that trajectory, putting key toggles within easier reach of the shooting hand's thumb.

This is not the first time Apple has repositioned camera UI elements, but it is arguably the most visible shift in how the default camera interface is organized since the introduction of the ProRAW and ProRes toggles for iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro, respectively.

Siri mode and intelligent camera features

Perhaps the most forward-looking addition is a new "Siri mode" that users can toggle on alongside the traditional photo, video, and panorama options. In this mode, the camera becomes an input device for on-device intelligence. Demonstrated capabilities include translating text visible through the lens in real time and identifying objects such as plant species — point your iPhone at a flower, and Siri will tell you what it is.

These features lean heavily on the machine-learning and computer-vision models Apple has been developing under the hood. They also appear designed to take direct aim at Google Lens and Samsung's built-in visual intelligence features, which have offered similar object-recognition capabilities for several years. The difference, if Apple's execution holds up, would be tighter on-device processing and deeper integration with the camera UI itself rather than a separate app or mode.

WWDC and the broader iOS 27 timeline

Gurman reports that Apple plans to unveil these Camera changes at WWDC 2025, which kicks off on June 8. The event is also expected to showcase the long-delayed next-generation version of Siri — a project that has reportedly faced internal delays and leadership changes over the past year. Pairing a visibly smarter Siri with a camera experience that can leverage it in real time would give Apple a cohesive narrative: the AI assistant is no longer just a voice in your ear, it is embedded in the tools you use every day.

iOS 27 is still months away from a public release, typically arriving in September alongside new iPhone hardware. Until Apple officially confirms any of these features, the details remain subject to change or cancellation. Bloomberg's track record with Apple product reporting is strong, but the company has been known to pull or rework features late in development.

Why this matters for mobile photography

For casual users, the widget system means the Camera app can stay simple — leave it in its default state and the experience is unchanged. For enthusiasts and professional photographers, however, the ability to surface manual controls, exposure tools, and depth-of-field adjustments directly in the default app is significant. Historically, serious iPhone photographers have relied on third-party apps like Halide, ProCamera, or Moment to access this level of control. Apple bringing those capabilities into the stock app signals a clear intent to compete for attention — and perhaps market share — in the mobile photography space.

It also reflects a broader trend in smartphone software design: modular, user-customizable interfaces that adapt to skill level. If Apple ships this as described, it would set a new benchmark for what a default camera application can do.