Jon Prosser, the guy who’s made a name for himself spilling Apple’s secrets, drops a bombshell. He releases a series of videos in April 2025, showing off what he claims is the redesign for what everyone thought would be iOS 19. But here’s the twist—those sleek, glassy renders he’s flaunting? They’re not just guesses. Apple says they’re based on real, stolen info, and now they’re dragging Prosser and his buddy Michael Ramacciotti into court over it. The stakes? Trade secrets, a shiny new iOS 26, and a whole lot of drama.

According to a lawsuit first spotted by MacRumors, Apple is accusing Prosser and Ramacciotti of misappropriating some seriously sensitive stuff—details about iOS 26 and its “Liquid Glass” redesign. And we’re not just talking about what Prosser showed off in his videos. Apple says the duo got their hands on “a significant amount of additional trade secret information” that hasn’t even hit the public yet. They’re so spooked they can’t figure out exactly what was taken, so they’re asking for an injunction to stop any more leaks and a jury trial to sort out the damages.

The story starts with Ethan Lipnik, an Apple employee who’s now very much an ex-employee. Lipnik was buddies with Ramacciotti, and according to Apple, that friendship was the key to this whole mess. The lawsuit claims Ramacciotti used Lipnik’s development iPhone—yep, one of those special devices loaded with unreleased software—without Lipnik even knowing. How? Well, Apple says Ramacciotti waited until Lipnik was out, tracked his location to make sure the coast was clear, cracked the passcode, and got to work. Then, in a move straight out of a spy flick, he fired up a FaceTime call with Prosser and showed off the iOS 26 interface, Liquid Glass and all. Prosser allegedly recorded it, and that’s what fueled his big leak.

Lipnik? He’s out of a job now, fired for not locking down his device like Apple’s strict policies demand. And he didn’t exactly help his case—Apple says he handed over an audio message from Ramacciotti admitting to the scheme, where Ramacciotti reportedly apologized and pointed the finger at Prosser as the mastermind. According to the filing, Prosser even dangled payment or job opportunities in front of Ramacciotti to sweeten the deal. Ouch.

Apple didn’t find out from Lipnik, though. Nope, they got a tip from an anonymous email on April 4, 2025, spilling the beans “as a courtesy to the iOS 19 team.” Someone out there was watching—and talking.

Jon Prosser isn’t taking this lying down. The guy’s been a fixture in the leak game since 2020, when he started nailing predictions about stuff like the iPhone SE and MacBook Pro drops. He’s built a whole brand on being the insider who knows Apple’s moves before Apple wants you to. But this time? He’s pushing back. In a tweet thread responding to MacRumors, he wrote, “Interesting. This is not how things went down on my end. Looking forward to being able to speak to Apple about it.” He doubled down, adding, “for the record: I certainly did not ‘plot’ to access anyone’s phone and was unaware of the situation playing out.”

Is he dodging, or is there more we don’t know? Prosser’s keeping it vague for now, but you can bet he’s got a story to tell when the courtroom lights turn on.

Let’s talk about what’s at the heart of this fight: the Liquid Glass redesign. Prosser’s leaks teased a slick, futuristic iOS overhaul, and Apple finally showed it off at WWDC in June 2025 as part of iOS 26. Think pill-shaped tab bars, rounder edges, and a translucent, glass-like vibe that’s a big departure from the flat designs we’ve gotten used to. It’s not just a pretty face, either—industry folks say it’s one of the boldest visual shifts for iOS since the iPhone X days. Prosser’s renders weren’t dead-on—his Camera app guess was off, for one—but he nailed the vibe, and that’s probably what’s got Apple’s blood boiling.

If you’re thinking Apple’s overreacting, think again. These guys don’t mess around when it comes to secrecy. Earlier in 2025, they settled a lawsuit with ex-engineer Andy Aude, who got caught leaking company secrets. Aude called it a “profound and expensive mistake”, but the details of that deal? Locked up tighter than an iPhone prototype. Apple’s been known to send cease-and-desist letters to leakers and even sue suppliers over spilled beans. For a company that thrives on the big reveal—those glossy keynotes where Tim Cook drops the “one more thing” line—leaks are like kryptonite.

Prosser’s been on their radar for years. Back in 2021, he leaked the AirPods Pro 2 design months ahead of schedule, and Apple wasn’t thrilled then either. But this iOS 26 fiasco? It’s personal now.

This lawsuit’s got the tech world split. Some see Prosser as a hero, shining a light on Apple’s walled garden. Others say he crossed a line, and Apple’s got every right to protect its IP. Either way, it’s bigger than just Prosser and Ramacciotti. If Apple wins, it could set a precedent that makes leakers think twice before hitting “publish.” If Prosser comes out on top—or at least walks away unscathed—it might embolden the leak culture even more.

For now, Apple’s playing hardball. They want that injunction to shut down any more leaks, and they’re ready to let a jury decide how much this stunt cost them. Prosser’s promising a fight, and Ramacciotti’s staying quiet—probably sweating bullets after that voice note. As for Lipnik, he’s the cautionary tale: one loose phone, and your career’s toast.

The courtroom showdown’s coming, and you can bet every tech nerd from Cupertino to X/Twitter’s got their popcorn ready. Will Apple crush the leak pipeline, or will Prosser pull off another escape? Stay tuned—this one’s gonna get messy.