Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) acts as its annual showcase for all the things new the corporate plans to incorporate in its software program for the following yr, offering builders lead time (and incentive) to combine imminent options and capabilities for iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch and Apple TV of their upcoming releases.
Immediately’s occasion introduced us a Liquid Glass redesign throughout working methods, unified version numbers for the OSes (all ending in 26, e.g., iOS 26), besides MacOS Tahoe 26, which nonetheless incorporates a vacationer vacation spot. Plus, the brand new Gaming app — which is generally a hub however with some group options — which we have been ready for.
Apple prepped buzz for the occasion by releasing new retro merchandise for the nostalgic amongst us.
Watch this: WWDC 2025: Every thing Revealed in 10 Minutes
The occasion started with a buzz video of Craig Federighi, senior VP of software program engineering, racing in an F1 automobile to advertise the F1 film produced by Apple for its Apple TV Plus streaming service.
In the event you’re extra the “moment-by-moment” kind, you possibly can take a look at our archived live blog. Or simply skip to the memes inspired by the closing song. Or simply go straight to the half the place you complain it bored you.
Public betas of the brand new working methods will probably be out there in July, and the first developer beta for iOS 26 is available right now.
Watch this: Apple Unveils Liquid Glass, a New Design Language
Liquid Glass redesign stole the present
Apple’s “beautiful new design,” for all its platforms the primary overhaul since iOS 7, made doable by higher shows and extra highly effective parts.
Apple’s imaginative and prescient for its subsequent working methods’ interfaces is sort of actually that: It is impressed by VisionOS. The brand new design system known as Liquid Glass, and brings a return to extra pervasive translucency for the OS components — the identical aesthetic that informs the software program for its Imaginative and prescient Professional VR/AR headset. Meaning extra lens-like look, with specular highlights and dynamic motion as you alter viewing angle. Navigation habits modifications as properly.
iOS 26: The brand new working system (and naming) is official
Liquid Glass will in all probability take advantage of impression on Apple’s hottest system. However as well as, there is a new unified structure for communications, integrating Cellphone and FaceTime. Call Screening will wait till somebody begins to speak and let you know who it’s earlier than ringing via, whereas Maintain Help will preserve the decision linked within the background and ring you when somebody solutions. Throughout the apps, there are many interface components floating and extra options only a faucet away.
The long-rumored “new vacation spot” for gaming, Apple launched the Video games app. There is a hug for Arcade, and it reveals occasions and your whole sport library in a single place. There’s Play Collectively for managing co-op and group challenges. Builders can use that for turning single-player video games into group challenges.
And it really works with a controller. Heck yeah.
Watch this: Introducing iOS 26 at WWDC25
Messages will get a customizable background that is shared throughout a chat, group chats can host polls, and you’ll request or obtain Apple Money in group chats. You’ll filter messages out from current and unknown senders out of notifications. Emoji era will get smarter by letting you mix and modify Genmoji to extra precisely replicate what you need to convey. New ChatGPT kinds embody issues like oil portray, or the power to ask for a particular fashion that is not a preset.
Live Translation is now dwell within the communications apps with this model of the OS, and can work while you name somebody who’s not on an iPhone.
Along with the brand new look, which incorporates issues like dynamic scaling of widgets primarily based on the photograph on the lock display, can routinely make the photograph 2.5D and animated paintings for what’s enjoying. There’s lyrics, dwell lyric transliteration, mixing by way of the brand new AutoMix characteristic and music pins in your library.
iOS 26 contains a new Video games app and dwell translation.
The digicam makes it extra streamlined to entry the fundamental photograph and video modes, plus all of the choices have been made a fast gesture away. Library and Collections tabs are again in Pictures. Apple opens Visible Intelligence to not solely screenshot search, however can use it throughout apps or name up ChatGPT.
Maps can be taught your most popular routes and take them into consideration, provides you journey time estimates and remembers the place you’ve got been for a visited-location historical past.
Apple Pockets will provide passport information for digital IDs (for all the things however flying). Pay will provide in-person redemption of Rewards and use of Installments.
iPadOS 26 will get extra Mac-like yearly
Although in all probability not the most well-liked updates folks care about, iPadOS 26 did get much more architectural modifications apart from extra Liquid Glass prettiness and the Dwell Translation, communication and AI options from different gadgets.
The substantive modifications embody a brand new windowing system to enhance multitasking. There is a seize deal with to resize full-screen apps to home windows, utilizing the flick gesture to tile — it really works with a trackpad in addition to contact. It seems similar to MacOS.
The large change to iPad OS is a brand new system for managing your home windows.
Expose brings up thumbnails of open home windows so you possibly can choose the one you need. There’s additionally a persistent menu bar on the high of the display, like a desktop OS. Heck yeah. And it does not require a particular high-performing iPad; it really works with Stage Supervisor and on a number of shows. After all, some persons are questioning (dreading?) what it will be like to use on an iPad Mini.
Recordsdata lastly grows up, like an in depth listing view with the power to resize columns, the power to tug a folder to the Dock and extra.
Preview involves the iPad, and the OS provides help for choosing a mic and offering a noise-isolation possibility throughout apps. There are additionally extra instruments for creators, similar to native seize by way of video conferencing apps, with mic choices for higher sound.
Background duties — sure! — will present up as dwell actions, so you do not have to place it down and stroll away for a render.
MacOS Tahoe… 26
This year’s location name is Tahoe, and the replace contains the identical communications look updates as iOS 26. MacOS Tahoe incorporates the Liquid Glass design, too. You possibly can add a brand new set of controls to the management heart, change colours or add emoji to folders.
Continuity will get Dwell Actions, like on the iPhone, and the Phone app involves the Mac with shared historical past and the opposite new AI options.
MacOS is the one Apple working system that can preserve its previous naming observe.
Shortcuts now have clever actions, like summarizing textual content or evaluating issues. Highlight provides among the annoying options of Home windows search, like mixing outcomes throughout varieties you do not need. Fast Keys are two-letter shortcuts for apps and actions, together with options. It retains a clipboard historical past, which ought to make lots of people joyful.
The Video games app on Tahoe has the identical options because the app on iPhone, plus an in-game overlay. Updates to Apple’s Steel graphics framework, Steel 4, provides body interpolation, denoising and extra for doubtlessly higher sport efficiency and high quality. Upcoming video games embody Crimson Desert and Inzoi.
Watch this: Apple’s WatchOS 26 Will get a New Look and Extra Options at WWDC25
Exercise Buddy makes its debut in WatchOS
The Apple Watch OS incorporates AI in a brand new Workout Buddy, which retains your health historical past and presents vocal teaching (ugh, pep talks) with a abstract of your exercise stats on the finish. Exercise has a brand new structure and customized exercises.
Good Stack makes use of extra knowledge to prioritize and predict which options you will need quickly. It is smarter about notifications, basing the amount on the ambient noise in your surroundings, and provides a Wrist Flick gesture for issues like dismissing notifications.
WatchOS 26 may even characteristic smarter smartstacks.
The brand new design permeates Apple TV Plus and TVOS, too. Apple additionally introduced some new upcoming originals and new seasons of present reveals like Sluggish Horses and Basis.
TVOS will will allow you to leap again into reveals extra shortly and will get into karaoke along with your iPhone because the mic.
Together with built-in karaoke, the brand new TvOS features a redesigned FaceTime app.
VisionOS 26 provides extra for enterprise
This working system already had the look, however Apple’s taken VisionOS 26 deeper and extra into-the-real-world. Widgets may be personalised and persistently overlaid. The OS will bear in mind window placement. Pictures can even create spatial views of photographs and routinely convert photographs in articles, as an illustration. Personas will doubtlessly look extra correct.
Apple’s VisionOS 26 will add Spatial Scenes, a brand new methodology of making 3D photographs in your photographs.
Collaborative Professional utilization obtained a co-op sport callout, nevertheless it’s for enterprise. In the event you’re utilizing a shared group system, it can save you your settings in your iPhone. There’s additionally a brand new Eyes Solely mode for privateness. Logitech Muse 3D stylus and PSVR hand controllers are two of the attention-grabbing new equipment for it.
You’ll edit Premiere Professional video and playback native 360 diploma playback for standard motion cams.
