At WWDC26, this year’s edition of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the company will showcase new versions of its operating systems: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS and tvOS.
The software updates will be available in developer beta soon after the keynote on Monday. Developers will be able to install the update and test their apps on the new versions. A public beta will follow in July, which is more reliable for use by enthusiasts.
Apple releases the major new versions to the general public in the fall, in September or October. Some features announced at WWDC may not be available until later in the software update cycle. Delayed features roll out in smaller software updates, in the winter or the following spring.
WWDC26 is planned for Monday, June 8, 2026, with Apple’s live-streamed keynote beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time.
Apple’s developer conference will likely kick off with a live-streamed event during which outgoing CEO Tim Cook, software chief Craig Federighi and other executives take to Apple Park to give the world their first glimpse of future software updates.
In the afternoon, the Platforms State of the Union will explain how developers can use the new features in their apps, adopt the new features, along with new features in the Swift programing language itself.
During the rest of the week, Apple will publish developer session videos. These in-depth videos explain how to implement new features and use new APIs, with example code and projects. Anyone can watch via the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website and the Apple Developer YouTube channel.
The WWDC26 keynote is the biggest event of the week — and one of Apple’s biggest events of the year. Apple will introduce the new features coming in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS and tvOS 27. It undoubtedly starts at 10 a.m. Pacific time on June 8, 2026.
The easiest way to watch the keynote is to go to apple.com. Come Monday morning, the live stream should take over the homepage. Later, it’ll move to apple.com/apple-events/, where you can always go to rewatch old presentations. There, you’ll also see a link to Apple Event videos on Apple Podcasts — a convenient way to rewatch (and download) every Apple Event since January 2007.
Another convenient way to watch the keynote is on YouTube. The YouTube live stream is the most accessible across any device and platform.
The best way to watch the Apple event on your TV is in the Apple TV app. The Apple TV app isn’t just for Apple TV set-top boxes. Any modern smart TV made by Samsung, LG, Vizio, Panasonic, Sony (or any TV running Google TV software) comes with it built in. You can download the app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, PlayStation or Xbox if you own any of those. Here’s the full list of compatible TVs and game consoles.
If you’re a registered developer who won the random lottery, a winner of the Swift Student Challenge, an engineer at a big enough company to get an invitation, or a selected member of the press, you’ll watch the keynote at Apple Park.
WWDC26 announcements will begin with a keynote on Monday June 8, 2026 at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Apple Intelligence is likely going to play a big part in WWDC26. Apple has still failed to ship its planned upgrade to Siri, delaying it initially to iOS 26.4, then to iOS 27.
The company has still added only a few Siri features initially announced back at WWDC24: its knowledge of Apple features, its improved ability to understand you if you misspeak or stumble over your words and its integration with ChatGPT.
We still have yet to see Siri tap into the App Intents framework to be able to control your devices and perform actions on your behalf. Personal Context, which would allow Siri to look up information about you based on your text messages, browsing history and emails, has yet to be seen, too.
Apple struck up a deal with Google to use a custom version of Gemini to help power the AI features Apple hasn’t been able to pull off itself.
The new Siri will also likely come with a new interface that spawns from the Dynamic Island, and will allow users to either speak or text. Conversations will no longer disappear; reports indicate users will be able to see past conversations and continue them from a Siri app.
Other rumored Apple Intelligence features include:
Last year’s biggest announcement was the Liquid Glass user interface design. A core visual element is the glassy transparent controls that float directly on top of the content, without an opaque toolbar separating the two. It features live effects with an emphasis on animation and physicality.
The interface was criticized for its low legibility in default settings and its poor implementation on macOS. While there are no reports of the design being walked back or removed, Apple designers will certainly tweak and iterate on the design to address user concerns.
According to reports by Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple intended to include a setting with a global opacity setting, so users could fine-tune the look to their precise personal preference. While engineers supposedly could not get the feature completed in time for the iOS 26 design cycle, it could be coming in iOS 27.
For the last few years, Apple has been leaning into user customization. iOS 16 introduced all-new Lock Screens, iOS 17 brought that same interface to Contact Posters, iOS 18 came with a customizable Control Center and radical new Home Screen options.
In iOS 27, you’ll be able to roll your own Camera interface as well. The Camera app introduced in iOS 26 pared down the design to just the essentials, with power features hidden behind extra taps. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, iOS 27 will allow you to put your favorite controls back on screen along the top, in an interface that resembles adding widgets to the Lock Screen or Control Center.
There are many new products on the horizon. However, few are expected to launch at this event, which is usually focused on software announcements.
The iPhone has been announced in the fall every year since 2011. iPads are released in the spring or fall, never in June. Updated MacBook Pros with M6 chips, and possibly touchscreen support, are not expected until the fall, either.
The two models ripe for a refresh are the Mac mini and Mac Studio. Neither are running the current M5 generation chipsets. Configurations keep running out of stock, and the remaining models have months-long delays. It would make sense that updated models with M5 chips would be announced at this event as desktop Macs are popular among developers. However, ongoing supply constraints may have delayed these machines even further.
Other new products in the pipeline include an updated Apple TV, updated HomePod mini and a smart display product. All of these have been delayed as they depend on the new, smarter Siri that is equally delayed. They are unlikely to be revealed before September.
The Swift Student Challenge is an annual coding competition for young developers. Using Swift, the same language developers use to create apps for Apple platforms, applicants create and submit demo apps. Apple encourages participants to use “their creativity to develop apps to solve real-world problems,” according to the official site.
It is open to recent high school graduates and current STEM students across the world.
Apple has chosen the 350 winners of the 2026 Swift Student Challenge, who “found remarkable ways to harness the power of Apple platforms, Swift, and AI tools to build app playgrounds that are as technically impressive as they are meaningful.” Of those, Apple has invited 50 Distinguished Winners to attend WWDC26 in-person at Apple Park.
Apple profiled the top four submissions, whose work aims to preserve cultural heritage, improve disaster preparedness, connect astronomy enthusiasts and expand educational access.
Early in June each year, Apple CEO Tim Cook, software chief Craig Federighi and other Apple executives take to a stage at the World Wide Developers Conference to reveal what’s launching from the Mac-maker in the coming months.
It’s the traditional venue to unveil the next major upgrades for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, etc. These then go into extensive beta testing before the full launch in the autumn.
WWDC’s focus is supposed to be software but it’s not unusual for hardware to make an appearance, especially when it’s a Mac intended for developers.
And sometimes there are surprises.
WWDC25 began with a keynote on Monday June 9, 2025 at 10 a.m. Pacific. Apple began by announcing a new visual design across all its platforms and unified version numbers based on the year. Its operating system announcements included iOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26 and iPadOS 26.
WWDC25 announcements included:
The 2024 edition of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off with a keynote address at 10 a.m. Pacific on Monday, June 10. The company unveiled iOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, watchOS 11, visionOS 2 and Apple Intelligence.
The announcements include:
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off June 8, and all eyes are on iOS 27 — the software update that could define the iPhone experience for the next several years.
Given a steady drumbeat of reliable rumors, a surprisingly complete picture of the update has already emerged. Here’s what to expect in iOS 27 regarding the big Siri revamp and more. We’ll see if the keynote confirms it all.
Apple’s 2026 Swift Student Challenge produced some of its most socially conscious code yet, with four Distinguished Winners using Apple’s developer tools — and a lot of AI assistance from Claude, among others — to build apps that address tremors, presentation anxiety, flood safety and music education. Apple showcased them in a feature story Thursday.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software development, finally gave more details on why the AI-enhanced new Siri version got delayed for so very long. He explains why Apple thought it could deliver the new feature this year, but eventually had to push back the launch until possibly 2026.
The intent seems to be to show that Apple was being overly optimistic, not deceptive, when it said at WWDC24 the new Siri version would be out within a year.
Liquid Glass looked great in WWDC25 demos Monday, but reactions soon afterward put a few cracks in it. The new transparent and reactive design language coming to all Apple devices this fall strikes many folks as making it too hard to read information on their screens.
Many initial reactions to Liquid Glass make it look like a misstep.
“Can’t wait to not be able to read anything on my iPhone,” grumbled one user. Several others implied Apple co-founder Steve Jobs would hate the new design language.
During the WWDC25 keynote on Monday, Apple announced the next versions of every operating system with a new naming scheme and fresh look. iOS has an all-new interface with redesigned Camera, Messages and Phone apps; macOS has a brand-new Spotlight; iPadOS has supercharged multitasking.
But if you don’t have 90 minutes to spare, you can catch up in just 90 seconds.
Apple took the wraps off watchOS 26 on Monday, showcasing its new Liquid Glass design and other key new features. The Workout app gets the biggest makeover, featuring a new Workout Buddy that delivers personalised attaboy messages when you need a little extra mojo.
Other apps get improvements in watchOS 26, too, and a long-missing app finally makes an appearance.
iPadOS 26 lets Apple’s tablets act more like a Mac than ever before. It also includes a new design that makes all Apple computers look more similar, further bringing iPads and Macs together.
“iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, during Monday’s WWDC25 keynote. “With a beautiful new design, an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system, even more features powered by Apple Intelligence, huge improvements to working with files, and new capabilities for creatives to power their workflows, iPadOS 26 makes our most versatile device even more capable.”
The new Liquid Glass look of tvOS 26 gets out of your way so you can enjoy movies and TV shows more easily. And along with the gorgeous new transparent design, tvOS 26 brings new features that should make using Apple TV even better.
“tvOS brings the best of Apple into your living room,” said Apple TV product manager lead Justin Washington during Monday’s WWDC25 keynote.
“With tvOS 26, we’re making Apple TV more enjoyable than ever,” said. “And it all begins with the new design with Liquid Glass, which looks incredible on the big screen. App icons feel more vibrant, thanks to their layered design and new specular highlights that bring depth and detail to every edge.”
Apple kicked off WWDC25 Monday by showing off iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and macOS 26. The company’s latest operating systems debut a new unified Liquid Glass visual design and pack several other improvements. Not every iPhone, iPad, or Mac will make the cut this year, though.
Find out the full list of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs eligible for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and macOS 26 below.
For the first time, Apple will unify software design across it various platforms with a new interface design called Liquid Glass. Inspired by visionOS, Liquid Glass is, as its name implies, a translucent and fluid new interface for iPhone, iPad, Mac and other devices in Apple’s ecosystem.
“It’s the kind of project that only comes along about once per decade,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, as he introduced Liquid Glass during Monday’s WWDC25 keynote.
In demos, conference attendees and online viewers got to see “glassy,” translucent menus, panels and icons throughout the system. The new look and feel creates a more immersive and modern visual experience.
Like iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe follows Apple’s new yearly naming scheme. It also adapts the new Liquid Glass design, using glassy UI elements and updated system icons.
But that’s not it. macOS 26 Tahoe includes a redesigned Control Centre, a revamped Spotlight, and, for the first time ever, brings the Phone app to the Mac.
“macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we’re building on what users love most. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started on Mac, there’s something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamless than ever before,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering.
In a significant shift in its software branding strategy, Apple is moving away from its traditional iOS and iPadOS version numbering. Instead, the company announced the move to a year-based naming convention at WWDC25.
So, rather than iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, the company will market its releases this year as iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. Apple’s other operating systems will also adopt the same naming style.
“We’re unifying our version numbers across all our platforms. Our releases for the fall that will power us through the coming year, 2026, will be version 26,” said Craig Fedrighi during WWDC’s opening keynote.
Apple plans to devote a considerable portion of WWDC25 to talking about its AI strategy, according to a reliable source. That’s something of a surprise, as the iPhone maker has no big AI-related announcements to make at the developer conference.
Siri and Apple Intelligence will even get a rebrand, according to this source.
Apple won’t show off any new hardware at its developers conference this week, according to a reliable source. There are apparently no Macs or other products ready to launch.
Instead, WWDC25 will focus entirely on operating system upgrades and other software.
Apple’s new visual language for iOS 19/iOS 26 reportedly will lay the groundwork for its upcoming hardware products. This will include a revamped design for the 2027 iPhone, dubbed “Glasswing.”
The device apparently will feature an all-glass design, with a “extraordinarily slim bezels” and a notch-free display.
Apple previewed support for RCS messaging in the iOS 18 Messages app at WWDC24. Adding Rich Communication Services will bring enhanced texting between iPhone and Android users, with features not possible before.
It’s a change Apple dragged its feet on for many years. Along with RCS support, Apple is also introducing new features like polls for iMessage, enhancing group chat interactions. Learn more about these changes.
Sending money to another iPhone user is about to get as simple as holding the two handsets near each other. The upcoming feature is called Tap to Cash.
It’s a private and secure payment system. The two users don’t even need to exchange phone numbers.
New features in Apple Maps in iOS 18 will be a boon to hikers. The app is getting topographic maps along with thousands of suggested hikes across national parks in the United States.
The app can also create custom walking routes.
Pigs must be flying and hell has frozen over because the official Apple Calculator application is headed for iPad. It’s a feature missing from the tablet since its launch in 2010 but iPadOS 18 will include one.
It goes beyond simply an expanded version of the iPhone app. Apple built in a Math Notes calculator that allows users to write equations with a stylus and have the iPad solve them.
Apple’s much-maligned Siri voice assistant is getting a huge infusion of artificial intelligence. It’s part of a movement to bring AI features to a wide range of iPhone, Mac and iPad applications.
“Thanks to the capabilities of Apple Intelligence, this year marks the start of a new era for Siri,” said Kelsey Peterson, Apple’s director of machine learning and Al, during Monday’s WWDC24 keynote.
Don’t get your heart set on new Macs launching at WWDC24 next week. A generally reliable tipster predicts that that’ll be none unveiled at Apple’s developer conference.
And not just Macs. Supposedly the agenda includes no new hardware at all.
The wait to get Apple Vision Pro is apparently nearly over for consumers in more than half a dozen countries.
Although the AR/VR headset launched in the United States this winter, availability has yet to expand outside the borders of Apple’s home country. But Apple Store employees around the world are reportedly getting trained on the device. And the headset reportedly cleared a major regulatory hurdle Monday for launching in China.
In the first quarter of 2024, iPhone sales in China slid 19.1% compared to Q1 2023. And that’s mainly due to competitor Huawei taking a bigger bite in the premium segment, according to new research. And yet analysts indicated possible signs of recovery for Apple, too.
Not only did Apple announce next year’s Swift Student Challenge early to give coders more time to prepare — it put the word out Wednesday for the February 2024 competition — it also added a new “Distinguished Winners” category and a raft of new coding resources in “Everyone Can Code Projects.”
Earlier reports that Apple’s VR/AR headset will launch this spring were apparently overly optimistic — the latest leak points to a debut at the company’s annual developers conference in June.
If so, it’s likely to overshadow the new iOS and macOS versions also coming at WWDC23. But that probably would have happened even if the device had been unveiled months earlier, as it’ll include a new operating system for third-party developers to write applications for.