iOS 19

Apple won't unveil iOS 19 until June 2025 at the Worldwide Developers Conference, but some details about the next-generation operating system update are already starting to leak out.

iOS 18 focused heavily on Apple Intelligence, Apple's version of artificial intelligence, and it should come as no surprise that iOS 19 will further Apple's push into making its devices smarter. 2025 and 2026 could be the year of Siri thanks to new features that are expected in iOS 19.

This roundup includes all of the iOS 19 tidbits that we've heard so far. As with all iOS updates, iOS 19 will be accompanied by iPadOS 19, a version of iOS with some features that are specific to the larger displays of Apple's iPad lineup.

Apple is developing a much smarter version of Siri that utilizes advanced large language models, allowing the personal assistant to better compete with chatbots like ChatGPT.

A large language model or LLM is trained on huge amounts of data, which allows it to understand and generate natural, human-like language, perform tasks, and solve problems. LLMs are the backbone of generative AI, or AI that can create content. LLMs are usually trained on text, art, languages, math, and more.

A chatbot version of Siri would likely be able to hold ongoing conversations and provide the same kind of help and insight as ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Apple is aiming for a Siri that's able to better converse with iPhone, iPad, and Mac users, with Siri responding like a human.

LLM integration would allow Siri to perform much more complex tasks, which the current version of Siri is not capable of. As of right now, Apple has to rely on ChatGPT integration in iOS 18.2 for queries that are beyond Siri's capability.

Apple is testing the new Siri internally in a separate app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but it will eventually replace the current version of Siri. Apple is expected to announce LLM Siri as soon as 2025 at WWDC, but Apple won't launch it until several months after it's unveiled. That means LLM Siri would come in an update to iOS 19, with Apple planning for a spring 2026 launch. The timing suggests iOS 19.4 would include new Siri features.

While there are no specific rumors yet about new Apple Intelligence features, there are areas where it would make sense for Apple to incorporate AI. We previously heard rumors about Apple using Apple Intelligence for Apple Music playlist generation, but that has yet to happen. It's possible we could see the feature in iOS 19.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that a "larger-than-usual number of features" slated for release in iOS 19 have been postponed until spring 2026. It's possible that the release version of iOS 19 will be light on major new features, with Apple rolling them out over a longer span of time.

Earlier this year, Gurman suggested that Apple is slowly moving away from timed software releases that come on an annual basis, focusing instead on debuting new functionality when it's ready. A more laid back schedule allows Apple to make sure its software is more polished and ready to go without having to rush to meet an annual timeline.

Apple could continue on with what it did for the iOS 18 launch. New features like Apple Intelligence were announced at WWDC, but the capabilities have seen a staggered release. Apple won't finish releasing all of the features previewed at WWDC 2024 until spring 2025 or later, just in time to start gearing up for iOS 19.

Apple will preview iOS 19 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2025. After WWDC, iOS 19 will be made available to developers for testing purposes, and then Apple will roll out a public beta later in the summer.

Following the beta testing period, iOS 19 will launch in September 2025 alongside new iPhones, but not all planned iOS 19 features are likely to be available right at launch.

Instead, Apple will have a staggered rollout, much like it did for the iOS 18 Apple Intelligence features.