Earlier this year, a leaker who goes by the name of Jon Prosser shared intrinsic details related to Apple's forthcoming iOS 26 update, which was then called iOS 19. The leaker recreated renders of iOS 26 elements, showcasing the Home Screen and various other in-app interfaces, and while the leak was on point to some extent, Apple took its time to respond to the scene. Apple has now sued Jon Prosser over iOS 26 leaks, and the story is far from over at this time, as the leaker has responded to the case.
Jon Prosser shared details on Apple's redesigned camera app back in January, highlighting various aspects of the app on his FrontPageTech YouTube channel. He posted another video in March on his Genius Bar podcast where he showed renders of the Messages app, which featured round navigation buttons at the top and bottom. He completed the series of leaks in April with another video that showcased Apple's highly anticipated Liquid Glass design, which eventually made its way to the public at the WWDC 2025 event in June. The Liquid Glass redesign came with glass-like translucent elements and pill-shaped bars that Prosser talked about earlier.
Apple seeks an injunction and damages after alleging the leaker accessed a development iPhone to leak confidential iOS 26 features
While most details were off as well, which includes the Camera app redesign, the renders were pretty close, giving users a gist of what the update was going to be like. Apple did not respond at that time, but months later, after the WWDC 2026 event, and after the iOS 26 beta was announced to developers, the company took notice and filed a lawsuit today against Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti for exploiting trade secrets.
Apple's claim revolves around a development iPhone, which was in possession of Ramacciotti's friend and Apple employee, Ethan Lipnik. According to the technology giant, Prosser and Ramacciotti preplanned to gain access to Lipnik's development iPhone, which included acquiring his passcode and then enabling location tracking to know details such as Lipnik's absence, when he could steal the secrets. Prosser also reportedly offered Ramacciotti money to gain access to Lipnik's development iPhone.
According to Apple, Ramacciotti took access to the development iPhone and FaceTimed Prosser, showing him close details of iOS 26 running on the device. Prosser screen-recorded everything and sent the recordings to his team, who created precise renders of the platform. Other than the iOS 26 design details, the development iPhone also contained a "significant amount of additional Apple trade secret information that has not yet been publicly disclosed." Apple says that it is not aware of the amount of data in possession of Prosser and Ramacciotti.
In response to MacRumors’ story, Jon Prosser stated that he was "unaware of the situation playing out" and that he is looking forward to talking with Apple in this regard. However, it remains to be seen what becomes of the lawsuit and how deep the leaker is in his ties with the company's employees. Furthermore, Prosser would have to compensate in monetary terms to Apple, unless the judges decide otherwise.
Interesting. This is not how things went down on my end. Looking forward to being able to speak to Apple about it.
— jon prosser (@jon_prosser) July 18, 2025
Apple's lawsuit highlights its efforts to protect its trade secrets, where it is requesting an injunction against further disclosure of Apple's secrets. The company is also seeking damages over the mishandling of already leaked secrets. Ethan Lipnik has already been terminated, as the company received an anonymous email that recognized the employee's apartment. Lipnik was fired due to his non-compliance with Apple's strict policies related to unreleased hardware and software.
We will be keeping a close eye on the story and share updates as soon as we hear them. What are your thoughts on the scenario? Let us know in the comments.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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