Apple is reportedly preparing a major refresh across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 with a strong focus on AI-powered photo editing. The biggest change under discussion is a redesign of the Photos app that would let users work on images faster and more intelligently without leaving the device.
According to Bloomberg, the update is expected to help iPhone, iPad, and Mac users improve photo quality, expand backgrounds, and reframe images. If Apple delivers the plan as described, the Photos experience could move closer to the AI editing tools that have already become familiar on Android devices.
A new Apple Intelligence section in Photos
One of the most notable changes is said to be a new menu called “Apple Intelligence Tools” inside Photos. It would sit alongside the existing Clean Up option, giving users more editing choices in a single place.
The idea points to a broader shift in Apple’s approach. Instead of making visual edits feel technical or spread across multiple apps, the company appears to be building tools that can finish common tasks in seconds while still relying on smarter processing behind the scenes.
Three tools designed for quick edits
Apple is reportedly preparing three main tools for the new menu. Each one is meant to handle a different kind of photo adjustment, from background changes to automatic image improvement.
The first is Extend, which would let users push a photo’s background beyond the current frame. Users would be able to control how far the extra area appears by dragging the photo’s corners, making the composition more flexible.
The second tool is Enhance. This feature is described as an automatic image improver that can adjust color, lighting, and detail to make a photo look better without requiring complex manual changes.
The third tool is Reframe, which is said to help change the viewing angle of spatial photos. Its inclusion suggests Apple is aiming beyond basic editing and toward more advanced visual processing.
Apple’s effort to close the gap with Android
Photos on Apple devices already supports standard editing functions such as saturation, contrast, filters, and cropping. With AI-based additions, that feature set would expand in a way that narrows the distance between Apple and Android in photo editing.
Google and Samsung have offered AI photo tools for some time. Google, for example, introduced features such as Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur in 2023, which is why Apple’s move can be seen as part of an effort to catch up in this area.
Development has not been fully smooth
Even so, the report says the new features are not yet fully stable in testing. Two of the planned tools, Extend and Reframe, are said not to be working properly at the moment.
That means Apple could delay the rollout or trim some capabilities before the features reach users. The final version of those tools has not been confirmed, so their exact form may still change.
iOS 27 may arrive with other major changes
iOS 27 is expected to be introduced at WWDC 2026 on June 8. Along with the Photos update, the version is also said to include a new Siri powered by Google Gemini.
If those plans stay on track, iOS 27 could become an important update for Apple’s consumer-facing AI efforts. The Photos changes in particular suggest that AI photo editing is becoming a more central part of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac experience.
