To showcase the increasing utility of its WWDC app, Apple changed the app’s name to something that sounds relevant all year long. The app formerly known as the WWDC app is now know as the Apple Developer app.
While Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference takes place for just one week in June, the WWDC app increasingly included “in-depth information” from Apple experts throughout the year. And the new name is just the beginning — Apple plans to make the app even more useful for developers.
Goodbye WWDC app, hello Apple Developer
In a press release, Cupertino notes that coders can use the Apple Developer app to:
“Stay up to date with the latest developer news, informative videos, WWDC content, and more. Developers in the U.S. can also use the app to conveniently enroll in the Apple Developer Program on iPhone or iPad, with enrollment in additional countries and regions becoming available over time. And since membership is provided as an auto-renewable subscription, keeping your account active is easy.”
The app features news, developer stories, and a variety of videos for devs. It also allows users to check out videos from past WWDC events, including downloading them to watch offline.
While casual fans know WWDC best for its action-packed keynotes, Apple’s annual coding conferences include dozens of sessions that run throughout the week. During WWDC, the app lets users access the conference schedule, sign up to labs, and watch live streams.
Name change aside, this week’s Version 8.0 update features a non-major app overhaul. It now offers a discover tab, along with a better search interface. In addition, it adds bug fixes, Apple Developer Program enrollment, and support for Dark Mode and the Korean language.
Does this suggest a WWDC rebrand is in the works?
My bigger question in all this: Does it suggest that WWDC could soon be renamed the Apple Developer Conference? That maybe seems a leap, especially since the app makes explicit mention of offering WWDC content.
Then again, Apple has been gradually streamlining its branding to include the word Apple in names wherever possible. I guess we’ll have to wait until next year to find out!
In the meantime, you can download the WWDC Apple Developer app from the App Store.
