Apple · WWDC 2026 · Apple shoppers

What's New in the iOS 27 Camera and Photos Apps

Updated June 2026

iOS 27 adds reorderable, customizable Camera controls plus advanced depth-of-field and exposure settings; AI reframing and image-expansion editing in Photos (AI edits carry SynthID watermarks); full-resolution iCloud shared albums that work on Android and Windows; and a rebuilt search foundation that Apple says opens Photos up to 70% faster.

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At WWDC 2026, Apple announced iOS 27 with a quieter set of headlines than the new Gemini-powered Siri — but if you take photos, the Camera and Photos changes are some of the most useful in years. You get a Camera app you can rearrange to match how you actually shoot, manual-style controls for depth and exposure, AI editing in Photos that can reframe and expand a shot, and shared albums that finally keep full-resolution images and open on Android and Windows. The catch worth knowing up front: some of these are AI features that need a recent iPhone, while others ride along on any phone that can install iOS 27. Here's exactly what changes, what runs where, and whether your phone is on the list.

iPhoneReorderable Camera & full-res shared albumsAI Photos reframing & expansionBuy at Amazon
Apple iPhone 17 ProYes — best camera hardwareYesBuy at Amazon
Apple iPhone 17YesYesBuy at Amazon
Apple iPhone 16YesYesBuy at Amazon
Apple iPhone 15 (non-Pro)YesNo — needs 16+ or 15 ProBuy at Amazon
Apple iPhone 11YesNo — but gets faster PhotosBuy at Amazon

A Camera app you can finally rearrange

Apple says the iOS 27 Camera app gets customizable, reorderable controls and widgets, so the buttons you reach for most can sit where your thumb already lands. Beyond layout, Apple added advanced controls for depth of field and exposure — closer to the manual adjustments enthusiasts have wanted without leaving the stock app for a third-party one. None of this requires Apple Intelligence; it's part of the camera software, so any iPhone running iOS 27 benefits. That said, the controls pay off most on phones with the strongest camera hardware, like the iPhone 17 Pro, where finer depth and exposure tuning has more range to work with. On the standard iPhone 17 or iPhone 16, you still get the reorderable layout and the same control set — you're just driving a slightly less ambitious camera system.

Pros

  • Reorder controls and widgets to match how you shoot
  • New depth-of-field and exposure controls in the stock app
  • Works on any iPhone that can run iOS 27

Cons

  • Advanced controls reward better camera hardware
  • No third-party-grade RAW workflow built in

Photos gets AI reframing and image expansion

In Photos, Apple announced virtual reframing and image-expansion editing tools. Reframing lets you recompose a shot after the fact, and expansion fills in beyond the original edges — useful when your subject is cropped too tight or you want a wider aspect ratio for a wallpaper. Apple says AI-generated content created this way carries SynthID watermarks, an invisible marker that flags the pixels as AI-made. These are Apple Intelligence features, so they need a capable phone: iPhone 16 and later, plus the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. If you're on an iPhone 15 (non-Pro), iPhone SE, or older, you'll update to iOS 27 and get the rest of the Photos improvements, but not the AI reframing and expansion tools.

Pros

  • Recompose and extend shots without a desktop editor
  • SynthID watermarks keep AI edits traceable
  • Pairs with Image Playground for wallpapers

Cons

  • Needs iPhone 16+ or iPhone 15 Pro
  • Not available on iPhone 15 (non-Pro), SE, or older

Shared albums that keep full resolution — on Android and Windows too

One of the most practical changes has nothing to do with AI. Apple says iCloud shared albums now keep full-resolution photos rather than compressed copies, and they work on Android and Windows. If you've ever shared a trip album with family on a mix of devices and watched the quality drop, this fixes it: the people you invite see the real files, and they don't all need an iPhone to do it. Because this is an iCloud and system feature, it doesn't depend on Apple Intelligence — any iPhone on iOS 27 can share full-res albums, and recipients on other platforms get the upgrade on their end. It's the kind of fix that makes the whole photo-sharing chain less frustrating across a household with different phones.

Pros

  • Full-resolution photos in shared albums, not compressed copies
  • Works for recipients on Android and Windows
  • No Apple Intelligence requirement

Photos opens faster — even on older phones

Apple rebuilt the system search foundation that powers Spotlight, Mail, and Photos, and cited speed gains: Photos opens up to 70% faster, apps launch up to 30% faster, and AirDrop transfers run up to 80% faster. Apple also described CPU scheduler changes that make older devices feel faster, specifically calling out benefits down to the iPhone 11. So even if your phone can't run the AI editing tools, opening a large library and scrolling it should feel quicker after the update. This is the part of iOS 27 that rewards holding onto an older iPhone — the iPhone 11, for instance, won't get the new Siri or AI Photos edits, but it does get iOS 27 and these performance improvements.

Which iPhone gets the most out of it

Sort the features into two buckets. The software-and-performance bucket — reorderable Camera controls, depth and exposure adjustments, full-res shared albums, and faster Photos — lands on every iPhone that can install iOS 27, which Apple says is the same lineup as iOS 26: iPhone 11 and later, plus the second-generation iPhone SE and later. The Apple Intelligence bucket — AI reframing, image expansion, and the SynthID-watermarked edits — needs an iPhone 16 or later, or an iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max. If photography is the reason you'd upgrade, the iPhone 17 Pro gets every feature plus the best camera hardware to use them on. The iPhone 17 covers the full AI feature set in the standard tier, and the iPhone 16 is the entry point for the AI editing tools. Buying for someone on an iPhone 15 (non-Pro) or 11? They'll still get iOS 27 and the faster, more flexible Camera and Photos apps — just not the AI edits.

The verdict

The iOS 27 Camera and Photos update splits cleanly. The reorderable controls, depth and exposure settings, full-resolution shared albums, and faster Photos are free wins on any iPhone from the 11 up. The AI reframing and expansion tools — and the SynthID watermarking that comes with them — need an iPhone 16+ or a 15 Pro. If photography is driving an upgrade, the iPhone 17 Pro gets everything on the best hardware, the iPhone 17 covers the full feature set, and the iPhone 16 is the entry point for the AI edits.

Who should skip this

Skip upgrading your phone for this if your current iPhone runs iOS 27 and you mostly want the layout, shared-album, and speed improvements — those arrive as a free software update, so there's no hardware to buy. You only need a newer iPhone if the AI reframing and expansion tools are the deciding factor, since those require an iPhone 16+ or a 15 Pro. And if you don't edit photos much at all, none of this is a reason to spend.

How we chose

We based every claim here on Apple's WWDC 2026 announcements for iOS 27, separating the changes into software and performance features (available on any iPhone that can install iOS 27) versus Apple Intelligence features (which Apple says require an iPhone 16 or later, or iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max). Device recommendations follow that split: we point photography-driven buyers to the phones that unlock the full feature set, and note when an older, still-supported iPhone gets the update without the AI tools. We don't cite prices, since they shift.

Frequently asked

Will my iPhone get the iOS 27 Camera and Photos features?

If your iPhone can install iOS 27 — Apple says that's the iPhone 11 and later, plus the second-gen iPhone SE and later — you get the reorderable Camera controls, depth and exposure settings, full-resolution shared albums, and faster Photos. The AI reframing and expansion tools need an iPhone 16 or later, or a 15 Pro.

What is SynthID in iOS 27 Photos?

Apple says AI-generated content created with the new Photos editing tools carries SynthID watermarks. It's an invisible marker embedded in the image that flags the pixels as AI-made, so an edited or expanded photo can be identified as AI-generated later.

Do the new Camera controls require Apple Intelligence?

No. The reorderable controls and widgets, plus the advanced depth-of-field and exposure settings, are part of the Camera software, so any iPhone that can run iOS 27 gets them. Only the AI Photos editing tools require an iPhone 16+ or a 15 Pro.

Do iCloud shared albums really work on Android and Windows now?

Apple says yes. In iOS 27, iCloud shared albums keep full-resolution photos and work on Android and Windows, so people you invite see the real files and don't all need an iPhone to view them.

When does iOS 27 come out?

Apple released developer betas on June 8, 2026, with a public beta planned for July and the full public release this fall as a free update. The Camera, Photos, and performance changes arrive with that release on supported iPhones.

Will an older iPhone like the iPhone 11 feel faster on iOS 27?

Apple cited CPU scheduler changes that make older devices feel faster, specifically down to the iPhone 11, and said Photos opens up to 70% faster thanks to a rebuilt search foundation. The iPhone 11 gets iOS 27 and these speed gains, but not the new Siri or AI Photos edits.

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