Apple’s Genmoji and Image Playground Set for Major Visual Overhaul in iOS 27 Ahead of WWDC 2026

Apple is likely to preview iOS 27 at its WWDC event in June, with a strong focus on advancing Apple Intelligence capabilities. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the update will enhance the AI-powered image generation systems used in Genmoji and Image Playground, delivering noticeable improvements in visual quality. These upgrades are expected to make Apple’s generated emojis and creative visuals more refined and realistic. Earlier reports also suggest that Apple may eventually allow third-party AI image-generation models to integrate into iOS 27, further expanding its creative ecosystem.

NEW: Apple plans several new AI features across iOS 27, looking to better compete with Android. That includes new AI writing tools like a Grammar Checker, AI-created Wallpapers and new Shortcuts app with AI-based shortcut creation. https://t.co/kn4khH4NJN — Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 18, 2026

In his latest Power On newsletter, journalist Mark Gurman reports that Apple is preparing a major quality upgrade for its AI image tools, Genmoji and Image Playground, as part of iOS 27. He notes that Apple’s in-house models powering these features have been significantly improved, which should result in noticeably better output quality this year.

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Apple originally introduced Genmoji and Image Playground in iOS 18, where Genmoji lets users create custom emojis using text prompts and Image Playground enables AI-generated visuals. In the next iteration, Apple may make Genmoji more proactive by suggesting emojis based on users’ photo libraries and frequently used phrases, instead of relying only on manual prompt input through the keyboard.

The new wallpaper generator uses technology from Image Playground. It’s available as an option in the wallpaper picker. The Google Pixel has had this functionality for a while now. https://t.co/2zVc9ORddt — Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 18, 2026

The report also suggests Apple could broaden Image Playground by integrating additional third-party AI models beyond ChatGPT, which is currently supported. This may include Google’s AI systems, potentially enabling more advanced on-device image generation and editing capabilities, expanding the creative scope of Apple’s AI tools.

Apple is expected to reveal more details about iOS 27 at WWDC 2026 next month. Alongside Apple Intelligence upgrades, the update is also rumored to bring a redesigned Siri, an overhauled Shortcuts app, an AI-powered wallpaper generator, and improved Writing Tools for system-wide use.