Apple’s software roadmap may have leaked into the open, and if the latest discoveries are anything to go by, the company is planning well beyond its next major iPhone update.
A recently uncovered internal build of iOS 26 discovered by Macworld has revealed feature flags pointing not just to iOS 26.4, but also to iOS 27 and even iOS 28, offering an unusually early glimpse at where Apple’s platforms could be heading.
The build, reportedly used by Apple engineers for internal testing, includes references to features that are clearly not intended for immediate release. These feature flags, essentially switches that let Apple enable or disable unfinished tools, often include notes on when a feature is expected to be ready, making them a reliable indicator of longer-term plans.
One of the biggest changes hinted at is a major redesign of the Health app. Code references suggest a revamped layout, easier metric logging, and groundwork for what could become a paid Health+ subscription. This lines up with recent reports that Apple is exploring an AI-powered health assistant capable of answering questions using your stored health data. The scale of the changes suggests Health is being positioned as a much more central part of Apple’s ecosystem.
Elsewhere, Apple appears to be working on credit card autofill for third-party apps, allowing cards added inside apps to be saved directly to iCloud Keychain, similar to how Safari autofill already works. Productivity fans may also welcome signs of folders coming to Freeform, finally giving Apple’s collaborative whiteboard app a more serious organisational structure.
Media and services aren’t being left behind either. A new “Sports Tier” flag has been spotted for the Apple TV app, hinting at a possible higher-priced subscription as Apple continues to expand its sports streaming ambitions.
Security and AI also feature heavily. The leaked build references additional device integrity checks before logging into Apple ID, potentially locking jailbroken devices out of iCloud services. Meanwhile, Apple’s long-awaited new Siri powered by Apple Intelligence is still tracking toward a spring 2026 release, with deeper conversational abilities expected.
Looking further ahead, there are clues about Photos app improvements in iOS 27, a revamped AirPods pairing system, and even new Apple Watch sleep metrics and a Health app for macOS planned for iOS and macOS 28.
None of this is guaranteed to ship, but taken together, the leak paints a clear picture: Apple is laying foundations years in advance. And if these plans hold, the next few iOS generations could be far more ambitious than the annual update cycle usually suggests.
