Apple adds custom camera modes

The iPhone camera is one of Apple’s most-used pieces of software, but it has always been oddly rigid. You get Apple’s layout, Apple’s priorities, and Apple’s idea of which controls should sit one tap away. That may finally change. A new report says Apple is preparing a fully customizable Camera app for iOS 27, plus a Siri-powered capture mode that folds more AI directly into the act of taking a picture. ### What’s the actual news? The core claim is simple — Apple is said to be redesigning the built-in Camera app so users can choose which features appear and where they sit. The reported movable pieces include controls for flash, exposure, timer, and resolution. That is a bigger shift than it sounds, because the current app mostly makes those decisions for you. ### Why is that a big deal? (bloomberg.com) Because the iPhone camera app has never really worked like a pro tool. It has added more modes over the years, but the structure stayed locked down. If you want a layout built around manual control, RAW shooting, or a specific workflow, you usually leave Apple’s app and open Halide, Filmic, or something similar. A customizable first-party app would blur that line. ### What’s this Siri mode supposed to be? The same reporting thread says Apple is adding a dedicated Siri mode inside Camera. The idea seems to be less “talk to a chatbot while filming” and more “use Apple Intelligence during capture.” One example that has surfaced is nutrition-label scanning — basically pointing the camera at food packaging and getting structured information back on-device. ### Is this just a rumor? Yes — and that matters. (9to5mac.com) Apple has not announced any of this. The timeline floating around points to iOS 27, which Apple is expected to unveil at WWDC on June 8, 2026. So right now this sits in the bucket of credible pre-announcement reporting, not confirmed product behavior. ### Haven’t developers already had custom camera tools? Basically, yes. Apple has been opening this up in pieces. AVFoundation already lets developers build fully custom capture apps, with direct access to camera inputs, outputs, preview views, RAW capture, depth maps, and custom metadata workflows. (macrumors.com) More recently, iOS 18 added Camera Control support on iPhone 16 devices, including APIs for built-in and custom controls tied to the hardware camera button. (developer.apple.com) ### So what changes if Apple does this itself? The difference is default behavior. Third-party apps can be powerful, but most people never switch away from the stock Camera app. If Apple brings customization and AI capture into the built-in experience, those features stop being niche. They become the normal way millions of people shoot photos, scan objects, and trigger visual tasks. That also gives Apple a cleaner path to teach users what its on-device AI is actually for. (developer.apple.com) ### What’s the catch? The catch is that “more flexible” can also mean “more cluttered.” Apple has spent years hiding controls to keep the camera fast and approachable. A fully customizable interface solves that for enthusiasts, but only if Apple keeps the default layout simple and makes the advanced stuff feel optional rather than dumped on everyone at once. That last part is inference — but it’s the design problem sitting underneath this whole rumor. (bloomberg.com) ### Bottom line? If this lands, Apple won’t just be rearranging buttons. It will be admitting that the iPhone camera has grown beyond a one-size-fits-all interface — and that AI features work better when they’re built into the moment you point, frame, and shoot. (bloomberg.com)