We’re still over two months away from the first look at iOS 19, but the excitement is already building! Speculation is swirling that this could be the biggest iOS revamp in years. With such high expectations, Apple could finally deliver the long-awaited features fans have hoped for years. Here’s our iOS 19 wishlist!
1. Smarter Apple Intelligence
In 2024, Apple finally stepped into the AI space with its Apple Intelligence system. It’s a welcome addition, but it’s far from perfect and still has room for improvement. It lacks the powerful impact seen in Artificial Intelligence tools from other major players like Google and Microsoft.
Currently, Apple Intelligence feels like a half-baked addition. Notification Summaries have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The AI-powered Clean Up tool in the Photos app is a complete mess. Touted as top-notch image creation tools, Image Playground and Genmoji aren’t exactly groundbreaking.
Right now, I can’t think of any super-useful Apple Intelligence feature that has made my life easier. I use Writing Tools to proofread text and create invitations, but it isn’t something out of the world.
The upcoming iOS 19 is likely to bring advanced Siri features like on-screen awareness, app intents, and personal context. However, Apple still has a lot to catch up. I hope iOS 19 also brings smarter Apple Intelligence that integrates deeply within the apps, offers real-time suggestions, and actually makes my everyday tasks easier.
2. A More Personalised Lock Screen
With iOS 16, Apple gave us the ability to customize the iPhone lock screen and took it a step further by allowing us to change the default controls in iOS 18. I feel there’s still a lot to explore in terms of a more personalized lock screen experience.
It would be exciting to see new clock styles, designs, and themes, perhaps drawing inspiration from the iOS 17 StandBy mode. Additionally, we should have the ability to resize and move widgets across the screen, allowing for a truly personalized interface. Beyond simple color and font tweaks, these updates would help create a lock screen that not only reflects your personal style but also greets you exactly the way you want.
3. Third-party App Stores
In a way, you can use third-party app stores to download applications not available on the App Store. This process is called sideloading which bypasses Apple’s App Store restrictions to install apps on your iOS device. That said, the setup process is pretty lengthy and time-consuming, and you’re limited to a specific number of externally installed apps. These constraints make the process less appealing to the masses.
In the European Union, Apple forcefully opened up its walled garden to allow users to install apps from third-party marketplaces and web distribution. But, if you live outside the EU, you can only use the official App Store.
Many users like me wish to see third-party app store support in iOS 19. This feature is already available so Apple doesn’t need to make a bevy of changes to iOS to expand it to every country. With the upcoming software update, I hope Apple fulfills this long-standing wish of every iOS user.
4. Redesigned App Switcher
I think it’s high time for Apple to redesign the App Switcher on an iPhone. It would be interesting if Apple introduced an iPad-style intuitive multitasking layout that displays a greater number of apps in a much better way.
A more efficient app switcher would be beneficial for users like me who often switch between multiple apps throughout the day. This would surely upgrade the workflow efficiency, overall usability, and multitasking experience on an iPhone.
5. Ability to Lock Specific Settings with Face ID
Debuted last year, iOS 18 brought the ability to lock individual apps with Face ID on an iPhone. Undoubtedly, it was a fantastic addition to protect your messages, photos, and banking apps without any third-party measures.
That said, this option isn’t available for the Settings app. That means anyone with your iPhone’s passcode can access and make changes to the settings, including location access and payment methods. Given this, I think it would be incredibly useful if Apple integrated Face ID authentication into the Settings app, allowing users to lock individual options and settings.
6. Notification and Control Center
For years, people have complained about the control center on an iPhone. Although Apple completely revamped the Control Center in iOS 18, users find it worse. It feels messy and complicated, and it takes more clicks to turn off or on something simple like Bluetooth or Mobile Data. Also, it feels like a puzzle game when you wish to reposition a bunch of controls in a desired layout. Rather than swiping through the Control Center screens, users want more freedom in customizing the layout.
Many users are frustrated with how Apple handles notifications on iOS. While notifications have improved with each release, they’re still far from perfect. For one, customizing notification settings requires digging through the Settings app, finding the specific app, and adjusting options—far from intuitive.
On top of that, there’s the issue of duplicate alerts—like when my iPad notifies me about messages I’ve already replied to on my iPhone. And if you want to clear all notifications, you have to tap the “x” and then select “Clear.” Why not make this a simple one-tap task? A little streamlining would go a long way!
7. CarPlay Improvements
First previewed at WWDC 2022, CarPlay 2 is yet to make its debut. Previously, Apple’s website mentioned that the second-generation CarPlay would arrive in December 2024. However, the giant has now updated its CarPlay website and doesn’t provide any timeframe for the launch.
Even if we don’t see the next-gen CarPlay anytime soon, there are a few improvements users are expecting from the 2025 software update.
Apple could really benefit from taking a page out of Android Auto’s playbook. Imagine a customizable display interface, the ability to explore maps, find alternative routes, and broader third-party app compatibility. It would take CarPlay to the next level!
Frankly speaking, I find Google Maps and Waze more reliable than Apple Maps. It would be nice if iOS 19 provides an option to change the default navigation app, just like the default browser and mail app.
8. A More Feature-rich Apple Notes
I often use the Apple Notes app on an everyday basis. While it offers all the basic features, I still crave some additions that would complement my note-taking needs.
The ability to view the edit history of Apple Notes has long been on every iPhone user’s wishlist. It would be incredibly helpful to access this history, allowing you to easily revert to an earlier version when needed.
Another addition could be improved search filtering. Right now, you can only search with one filter at a time, but with an advanced search that allows multiple filters, finding specific notes would be much easier. Many users are waiting for Apple to integrate the Notes app with Calendar, Reminders, and Numbers. This way, you could link your notes to calendar entries or view updated tables directly within a note, streamlining your workflow.
9. Improved Keyboard
Most iOS users agree that text selection on the iPhone is frustratingly poor. It’s a struggle to move the cursor and place it precisely where you want. For instance, if I typed “plain” instead of “plane”, I would take the entire day to get that correct. Most of the time, I’d get so frustrated that I’d end up deleting everything and retyping it.
That’s not all. The text prediction and auto-correction features aren’t accurate in most cases. Rather than saving time, they eat up my precious time with unwanted suggestions and corrections. Furthermore, the swipe-to-text feature doesn’t feel as smooth & fluid as Android keyboards.
I badly want Apple to offer a more functional keyboard with iOS 19.
10. Flexible AirPods Management
Last but definitely not least, I hope iOS 19 introduces a more flexible way of managing AirPods, especially when it comes to firmware updates. Currently, AirPods or AirPods Pro update manually when they are within Bluetooth range of the paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac with a stable internet connection. This leaves users with little control over the process. Many times, I’m unsure whether my AirPods are running the latest firmware until I realize I can’t access a new feature.
I would appreciate it if Apple offered the choice between automatic and manual updates, allowing us to decide when and how to update our AirPods. This would also help avoid any unexpected changes.
Also, I hope Apple’s iOS 19 arrives with fewer bugs (unlike the current iOS 18), more security features, improved RCS, and advanced features in the Health app.
Debuted with iOS 18, Apple Intelligence is sure to play a key role in iOS 19 as well. While it would be great to see some actually useful AI-powered tools, the tech titan should also focus on non-AI features to truly elevate the user experience.
I hope you’re listening, Apple!