Apple has filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser, accusing him of misappropriating trade secrets by leaking early footage of iOS 26 — what was previously rumored to be called iOS 19 — in multiple YouTube videos shared earlier this year.
According to the lawsuit, Prosser worked with Michael Ramacciotti, another defendant, to gain unauthorized access to a development iPhone belonging to Apple employee Ethan Lipnik. The lawsuit claims that while staying at Lipnik’s home, Ramacciotti obtained Lipnik’s passcode and used location-tracking to determine when Lipnik would be away for an extended period. Ramacciotti then allegedly broke into the development device.
Apple’s legal filing states: “While staying at Mr. Lipnik’s home, Mr. Ramacciotti used location tracking to determine when Mr. Lipnik would be gone for an extended period, acquired his passcode, and broke into his Development iPhone, which Mr. Lipnik had failed to properly secure according to Apple’s policies. As he detailed in the audio message, Mr. Ramacciotti made a video call to Mr. Prosser and ‘showed iOS’ on the Development iPhone, demonstrating several features and applications, disclosing details of the unreleased iOS 19 operating system.”
The company further alleges that Prosser proposed the scheme and promised to arrange payment for Ramacciotti in exchange for access. According to the complaint, Prosser recorded the video call, captured footage of unreleased iOS features, and later shared the recordings with others, including one individual who reportedly recognized Lipnik’s apartment in the videos.
Prosser’s YouTube channel, which generates ad revenue, featured multiple videos based on the leaked content. In January, Prosser previewed a redesigned Photos app; in March, he showcased an updated Messages app with round navigation buttons and a revamped keyboard. By April, he released a more detailed look at Apple’s “Liquid Glass” design language, which ultimately debuted in iOS 26 — featuring glass-like interface elements and pill-shaped tab bars in several native apps.
On social media platform X, Prosser has publicly disputed Apple’s version of events.
Apple is seeking an injunction to block further disclosure of its confidential information, as well as damages over the alleged misappropriation of its trade secrets.
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